The Healer
by EllaRose00
Summary: The Cullen clan is back at high school but now with Jacob and Nessie. New friends and new problems for Nessie. Going to high school with your parents and trying to figure out your relationship with your best friend.
1. Chapter 1

_Last day of summer_, I thought as I watch the sun set over the trees. I wondered if this is what human kids felt like before they started the new school year…anxious. I was swinging over the lake on the swing that Jacob made for me. It was tied to a long branch that headed out onto the water. I was watching Jacob float on his back while he was watching me.

"Are you going to jump in already?" he asked.

"I'm thinking about it."

I continued to swing and smiled at him.

"Thinking about it?" he asked again.

"Yes."

He looked back at me, squinting his eyes from the sun. He splashed water up at me and I laughed.

This was one of my best years, which is not really much considering I've only been alive for 6 years. My life literally has flashed before me eyes. I was going through a major growth spurt waiting for it to stop. I figured that I probably looked like I was 16, either way today we were going to celebrate my sixteenth birthday. Because of my speedy growth, my aunts have taken it upon themselves to throw birthday parties a few times a year, stating that it was for documentation purposes. It was a logical explanation so that we could keep up the normal human charade, but I could tell my aunts thrived on throwing me birthday parties. What were they going to do when I stopped aging so quickly? They were only going to be able to torment me once a year.

I looked down a Jacob. I have not gone one day without him. He was always there for every milestone of my life I could think of. Never aging and always the same. My best friend was a werewolf. Which is just as well as we were freaks among freaks. He was the only werewolf and I was the only half vampire/half human in our family.

I continued to watch Jacob float on his back, looking at the sun glisten off of his body. There was something else there between us, but I just didn't know what. I felt like the more I stared at him, it would suddenly come to me. But I just couldn't place it.

"So Nessie, are you excited about tomorrow?" He asked.

"Very much so. Can you believe it?! First day of high school!" I giggled.

"I'm glad your excited. You're the only who hasn't been." He smiled back.

I laughed. Finally! I thought to myself. I have been waiting to go to high school. I was tired of watching what it was like on TV or even reading about it. I wanted to experience it for myself. The time has finally come. My family was starting new in a brand new town. Everyone was starting high school again so that we could stay in that place longer, another dreary city with more cloudy days then sun.

"Do you think its going to be kind of weird?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well.. pretending my Dad is my brother."

"I guess. But you can't really say he's your dad. You parents look like the same age as you."

"I know. Its just weird to pretend he is something else. I hope I don't accidentally call him Dad tomorrow."

Jacob laughed, "Yeah it would be weird."

He swam closer and starting splashing again.

"Are you ever coming in?" He asked again.

"Hmm…"

"Well if your not, we should probably head back. Your family is waiting for you I'm sure you are pumped to celebrate your sweet sixteen birthday."

I rolled my eyes at him. I can't wait till this birthday celebrations becomes only a year event. Hopefully since I stop aging we can celebrate every other year, I though. With that, I swung off the swing and canon balled right next to Jacob in the water making sure I splashed him really good. With that he picked me up and threw me in the air as I fell back in the water.

I started to wonder if anyone else felt as content as I did. Life was perfect. My family was perfect and I had Jacob. He was my confidant, the only person who really knew me.

"We should get back," he said.

I jumped out of the lake and started running to the house.

"Sure! I'll beat you there!" I shouted back.

"Nessie, it doesn't count when you cheat!"

"Yes it does, its my birthday!" I called back laughing.


	2. Chapter 2

I had made it through the clearing of the woods before I stopped to take in the amazing sight. Our backyard was covered with a dozen pink and white Chinese lanterns. Pink Christmas lights wrapped every tree. My grandmother Esme had done a great job of refinishing an old Victorian mansion. She had updated the backyard by putting in a pool and a pool house. She had really put the pool house up for Jacob so that he would be as comfortable as possible living with a bunch of vampires. My room was all the way in the attic that she had redone. My favorite spot was the window seat that she put in. It over looked the pool.

"Wow. You'd think I'd be use to Alice's parties by now," Jacob said as he reached me.

"Yeah I know," I sighed.

"Well, I'll see you in a few," he called as he walked over to the pool house.

"Okay."

I walked inside the house to hear most of the family in the kitchen. I assumed they were still doing last minute preparations for my birthday party. I ran up the flight of stairs into my room. I had to say that I was pretty spoiled. I had never had wanted for anything. My uncles Emmet and Jasper had gotten me a flat screen TV for my fifteenth birthday a few months back. My father and mother put in a stereo system few months before that for my 14th birthday.

As I slipped off of my shoes I noticed a dress hanging in my closet. It was a shimmery pink babydoll dress. I slipped it on and looked at my self in the mirror. I noticed my chest… finally boobs. I laughed as I remembered that most girls have to wait a lot longer than me for those and it was kinda ridiculous for me to be so impatient. I couldn't help but noticed that I did look older. I was beginning to look like an adult. I spun myself around in the mirror and checked myself out. Not to bad, I thought.

There was a small tap on the door.

"Yes?" I called.

The door opened as my father and mother walked in.

My mother sighed as she helped me put on my locket around my neck.

"You look beautiful," she said, "Alice picked out the perfect dress."

"Thanks."

"So are you excited about tomorrow?" my father said with a big grin on his face.

"Yes! I really want to make friends with normal people, you know. Have a normal human friend. Emmet was telling me how funny they are."

My mom laughed, "Yes, well remember that you need to be careful around them. They are more breakable and also no showing off. I see how you are with Jacob. Your father has apparently been rubbing off on you."

The new story that were using was a little more complex than the last one used due to the addition of family members. Emmet, Alice and my mom Bella were siblings (the dark hair) still going by as Cullen. My father and I were brother and sister that were adopted later. We were going by Mason. Then Jasper and Rosalie Hale joined the family. We didn't know how to fit Jacob in the picture, so he is going as an emancipated minor that Dr. Cullen took in. This time though we were going to a large high school where there were too many kids to follow who belongs to who. No more small towns for us.

I sat on my bed as I watched my father tinker with the locks on the window. Every time he came in he was always checking how secure they were. I raised my eyebrow at him as my mom noticed and sat down next to me. She smiled as she shrugged her shoulders.

"So you are not bothered about attending your first day of high school with your parents are you? Not weirded out?" My father asked.

I took my mom's hand and held on. She looked at me with knowing eyes.

"No dad, no weirdness." Yes it was weird! It was even weirder going to school with your aunts and uncles. What if I get asked out? My dad is going to know what they are thinking! This conflicted with my plans on going to homecoming. I was so excited about the trivial human rites of passage; I was determined to do every one of them. But I knew that there was no way to avoid it. If we were going to stay in one place as long as we could we all had to pretend that we were young.

Over the years my power had grew forming into a power that no one saw coming. I could steal powers. I just had to be touching them. This was helpful when there were things that I didn't want my dad to know I could just hold on to my mom or if there was something Alice was hiding I'd grab my dad. It was useful when I got in trouble for sneaking out to hang out with Jacob. Luckily Jasper was right there and I was able to calm my dad down. I didn't fully steal the power, it would just be like a faint whisper to them and the second I let go it would flood right back into them.

My dad raised his eyebrow at me. I was starting to notice that most of my facial expressions were a lot like his.

"Well we will try and make it as less weird as possible," He said as he kissed me on the forehead.

"We wanted to come up and give you your birthday gift early before the party," Mom said as she looked up at my dad, "You will be able to use it tomorrow for school."

"Really? What is it?" I asked.

"Just a typical sweet sixteen birthday gift," he said with a huge smile on his face.

My father handed me a black velvet box. He was smiling pretty big, like he was dying to give me the gift.

"Open it," he said.

I quickly opened the box to see a car key with a ribbon.

"Thanks dad!" I said. I could cared less about what type of car it was but the fact that I didn't have to ride with them to my first day of school was a present enough.

"Go on, check it out. It's in the garage."

"I'm sure I'll love it. Thank you so much," I said as I gave them both hugs and walked downstairs to make my way to the garage. They were following behind me. I started to worry that my dad had gotten a little carried away and got me some outrageous sports car. I wanted to blend in with people from my school, not stand out. I heard my father sigh behind me.

"I told you honey," my mom said to my father.

As I got to the garage there was a white convertible car with a big red bow.

"It's a C70 Volvo," my father said, "it's a hard top convertible."

"Thanks mom and dad. Its great."

It was defiantly on the showy side but I think I could blend in alright at school.

"I should have asked Jacob to join us. At least someone would be a little more enthusiastic."

I laughed, "No really dad, I love it!"

I gave them both hugs.

"Well we should head out in the back and get this party started," my mom called as she put her arm around me.

I pierced my lips together, _**ugh another birthday party**_.

"Don't worry," my mom whispered in my ear, "soon we will be celebrating your birthday just once a year."


	3. Chapter 3

It was a dreary day, cloudy with no sign of sun. It was the perfect day for my family. Today was the first day of school. My mind was busy with worried thoughts. What if no one liked me? What if I acted too differently from everyone else? I looked out the side window from the passenger seat. Jacob was dying to test drive the new car so I let him drive us to school.

We were at a red light when I noticed the car next to us filled with kids. The girl in the driver seat was telling what looked like a very animated story. She had light brown hair with olive skin. Her hand was waving in the air while she was talking. The 3 other girls in the car were laughing as she went on. I suddenly became very envious while I was watching them. I've never had friends before. I spent most of my life with my family. I know that I had Jacob, but he has been around all of my life. He wasn't just my best friend, I really felt like he was something more. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I started drumming my fingers on my knee and looked up at Jacob.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"No, not really," I said.

He looked at my fingers. Immediately I stopped.

"Maybe just a little nervous."

He chuckled, "There is nothing to be nervous about, its just high school."

I nodded.

"You know," he said, "you probably wouldn't be this nervous if you hadn't watched all of those lame TV shows."

I shrugged my shoulders and stared off onto the road. He was probably right. It had started out as research but then I had gotten engrossed with the storylines. I was watching old episodes of Gossip girl, 90210, Laguna Beach as well as a few others. Okay, maybe it wasn't so much research but guilty pleasure. Either way, I began to think high school was going to be filled with mean girls and untrustworthy boys.

"Don't worry, Nessie. High school is never that dramatic and if anyone is mean to you, I'll just beat them up," he said with a smile.

As he pulled into the school parking lot, I began rummaging through my oversized Chanel bag for my class schedule. It was one of my birthday gifts last night from Alice and Rosalie. I had asked for a normal backpack and instead got this. This was getting shoved into my locker as soon as possible. If anything, this was going to make me look like I was trying too hard.

We had gotten our schedule a week before classes started. I was happy to find out I had no classes with any of my family members and at least 2 classes with Jacob.

"Do you want me to see if I can switch into more of your classes?" he asked.

"No that's okay. I can't always use you as a crutch. Besides, it would probably be harder to make friends with you around."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Your kinda intimidating, you'd probably just scare everyone away."

"Me? Intimidating?" Jacob said as he flashed a grin as he looked back at me. All of sudden my breath caught and it felt like my heart skipped a beat. _What was that?_ I thought. All I could do was smile back as his eyes fell back onto the road.

He knew he was intimidating. It was going to be interesting to pass him off as a high school student. He looked like he could be 25 years old. But if they were buying that Emmett and Jasper were high school students, I'm sure Jacob would have no problem pulling it off.

Jacob was tall and muscular. He had decided to cut his hair short before school started. His hair was jet black which looked nice with his dark olive tone skin. His checks' were a little red from staying out in the lake all day. I was envious of his skin. I wish my skin could tan or even burn. No matter how long I stayed outside in the sun, I would have the same color. The only thing my skin did was faintly glow, nothing too noticeable a human eye. I'm sure he would have been more intimidating if he didn't smile so much. His smile was so warm and gravitating. I always watched how people unknowingly drew near him when he was laughing. He carried this carefree aura around him that people couldn't help but notice.

As we pulled into the parking lot I noticed the clothes he was wearing, a light blue button down dress shirt and a nice pair of dark blue jeans. This surprised me since I was used to seeing him in just sweat pants and a plain t-shirt. Anything easy to throw on and off when he needed to phase.

I noticed how nicely his shirt hung over his chest. It was snug just enough to show his muscles.

"What are you staring at?" he asked. I immediately snapped out of my daze, slightly embarrassed.

"New clothes?" I said quickly.

He chuckled, "Yeah, Alice got me."

"Really? I'm surprised you let her."

He shrugged, "I probably should start playing the part. Alice said it would look a bit off if I was the only one out of the adopted Cullen clan who looked like the shopped at Kmart."

"Well you look good."

He snorted, "Thanks."

"No really, you do."

"It feels sort of weird. It's not exactly the most convenient clothing for me to be in."

"Are you planning on phasing into a werewolf while we are at school?"

"Probably not…don't want to make a bad impression."

I laughed, "Probably."

We pulled into the school parking lot and parked near the side of the lot.

"I never gave you your birthday present last night," he said.

"Oh yeah. I take it your feeling better."

"Uhm, yeah," he said nervously.

I had forgotten about last night. I had walked onto the back patio where everyone was waiting for me. I was holding onto my father's arm as I wanted to know what everyone thought of how I looked in my new dress, plus I always held onto my dad during my birthday parties. I loved hearing how much I was loved. I saw Jacob look at me, then quickly to my hand that I held onto my dad. He all of sudden started dividing big numbers in him head and claimed he wasn't feeling to well. He took off into the woods right after. He didn't come back till pretty late at night as I had stayed up sitting on my window seat watching the pool house till he got home. I was worried about what he was hiding. We never kept secrets from each other. I was going to ask him this morning but I completely forgotten about it. It must have been my nerves for the first day of school.

Jacob walked to the back of the car and popped the trunk. He pulled out a normal backpack.

"Thank you Jacob! It's perfect!" I said as I grabbed it out of his hands and started transferring items from the Chanel bag to the backpack.

"I thought you may have wanted something a bit more low key."

"Yes, you are a life saver," I said as I put the Chanel into the trunk and closed the door.

As we walked through the parking lot towards the large school building I noticed my father's Cadillac and my Aunt Rosalie's new Jaguar. They must have beat us here. The school was swarming with students. All the hormonal and nervous teenagers made their blood smell more potent.

"Are you going to be okay?" Jacob asked.

"I probably shouldn't breath so much today." It wasn't that I was afraid I was going to do something. I just didn't want to feel uncomfortable.

We continued walking down the hall. Though it was crowded no one came close to invading Jacob's personal space. I spotted my dad through the open glass window in the administrative office talking to a woman across the counter. I could hear their conversation even through the door and the noisy hallway (vampire powers). He was dazzling his way into changing his schedule so that he could be in all of my mom's classes. I rolled my eyes. He was most likely going to get his way. Could they not spend one hour without each other?

He must have caught my scent as he all of sudden turned around and waved. I smiled and waved back. I found my family talking and laughing together in the hall. I noticed Jasper joking around with Emmett. It was hard to imagine what he was like 7 years ago. From what I hear he had been really intense and that going to high school in the past had been difficult for him. When I asked him about what had changed, he simply stated that my mom had inspired him and nothing else was said.

"Hi Nessie... and Jacob," Rosalie said as she waved us over. They were not always nice to each other but it was getting better over the years.

My mom came over to give me a small hug.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes. I think so."

I saw my Aunt Alice eyeing my backpack. Her tiny eyebrows pushed together. She was going to give me crap about it later; I didn't have to touch her to know that.

"What's your first class?" Emmett asked.

"Biology."

"You know how to get there?" he joked.

"I think I'll be able to find my way."

I saw my dad stroll up to us as the bell rang.

"That's the five minute warning bell. We should get going Bella, our Trig glass is on the opposite side of this building," he said as he put his arm around my Mom. "Good luck Nessie."

My mom waved goodbye and mouthed I love you.

"Thanks."

Jacob walked me to my class with 2 minutes to spare. He waved goodbye as he said, "See you in 3rd hour."

As I walked into my class and found an empty table towards the back. I sat down and pulled out my notebook. I heard a chair slide out of the desk next to me. I looked up to find a tall blonde boy, with blue eyes sit down right next to me. I was wondering why he choose this seat as I thought it wasn't the social norm to just sit by someone you didn't know, especially when there were so many other available seats.

"Hi, I'm Spence," he said as he gave me his hand to shake.

"Renesmee but you can call me Nessie," I said as I shook his hand.

"Your new here aren't you? I swore I knew every pretty girl in this school."

I blushed but not because I was flattered but because I was uncomfortable. I was always around Jake, or my big uncles or my dad so no boy had ever approached me before.

"Yes, my family just moved."

"Really? From where?"

"Forks, it's a small town in Washington."

He was just about to day something when I notice him look up. I saw two other guys look over to him as they made their way down the classroom and take the open seat in front of the table.

"Hey Spence, who's your friend?" the curly brown hair boy asked.

He rolled his eyes so obviously to convey that he didn't really care for the two guys.

"This is Renesmee but she goes by Nessie. Nessie, this is Rusty and Jason."

I smiled and said hi.

"Hey, do you have a brother?" Rusty asked me.

"Yes, he also goes here too."

"Yeah, I saw him in the hallway. Is he dating that girl with long brown hair? She is hot."

Eww, that's my mom.

I tried not to look too disgusted and said, "Yes, that is his girlfriend."

"Too bad, how serious is it?"

"Serious."

"Rusty, like you would have a chance if she was single," Jason said.

The teacher came in, did roll call and past out the syllabus. He then sat at his desk as the rest of the class began talking again. I enquired why he wasn't teaching today. Spence said that because it was only the first day of class. I was unaware that it was common knowledge that the first day of classes were blow off classes.

The rest of the hour passed by quickly, as I was bombarded with questions from Spence, Rusty and Jason. They wanted to know what Forks was like, why I moved here, what I like to do for fun, if I had any hobbies or played any sports. I looked up every now and then to catch a small group of girls glare over to me. I was wondering what I had done to offend them. As the bell rang to dismiss the class, Spence asked if he could walk me to my next class, which was Spanish.

He continued on with the questions while we walked. I started thinking that maybe I shouldn't of been so worried about making friends at school. This will be easy, I thought. I basically have a new friend already and its not even halfway through the day. Making human friends was going to be easy! As we got to the my Spanish class he stopped abruptly.

"Do you know those guys?" he whispered to me.

I looked over to find my uncles Jasper and Emmett giving him the death glare. I wondered why they were trying to look frightening. I wondered even more as to why they were in this class, since I knew I had no classes with them.

I looked back at him and his eyes were wide, "Yes, those are my brothers."

"Oh, well I should get going. It was nice to meet you," he said very fast and was quickly already down the hall.

When I looked back at Emmett he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey Nessie, we saved you a seat," Jasper called as he pointed to the seat in the far back corner of the classroom. Jasper sat next to me while Emmett sat in front. It seemed like they were trying to put this barrier between me and the other students. It also didn't help that human instinct made all of the students sit as far away as possible from Emmett and Jasper.

I sighed as Emmett turned around flashed me a huge grin.

"This is going to be an awesome school year," he said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the great reviews! They get me excited to write more. I hope you guys like this chapter. Hopefully i'll be able to post more tomorrow.**

* * *

The bell rang signaling class was over. I was gathering my things when I saw Jacob waiting for my by the door. I felt instant relief when I saw him. He smiled when he caught my eye. My heart stammered. _It's happened again!_ I thought. I stared rubbing my chest.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he watched me.

"Of course."

I turned back to my uncles as they were heading out.

"Should I be expecting you guys in anymore of my classes?"

Jasper smiled and said, "We'll see you at lunch," as he walked out of the door.

Just as I was feeling hopeful, Emmett said, "and again at 5th period," as he followed Jasper out.

I looked at Jacob. He looked just as confused as to why Emmett and Jasper had decided to transfer into some of my classes.

Our English class wasn't very far. As we sat down next to each other, I was telling him about my morning so far.

"Jacob?" A girl said just as she walked through the door. She was making her way over to us. Her long pin straight black hair swayed as she walked. She sat down next to Jacob.

"Hey Jordan," he said.

"I didn't know you had 3rd hour English with Mr. Bernard too!"

She smiled as she slightly angled her desk towards his.

"Turns out I do."

He turned to me and said, "This is Jordan, we have first hour together."

"Hi," was all I could think of to say.

"Hi," was all she said back.

"This is Nessie," he said to Jordan, "Her family is the one I'm staying with."

"Oh. That's really nice of your parents to do that," she said to me.

I simply nodded and smiled. Something about her instantly put me off. I watched her throughout the rest of the hour trying to sneak peaks at Jacob in the corner of her eye. All of a sudden she flipped her hair and looked back at him to flash him a smile. She didn't catch his eye but she caught mine. I looked back at her and glared. _Mine!_ I thought. She quickly looked back to the front of the room. I wanted nothing more but to build a brick wall between them. I imagined myself putting 'NESSIE'S PROPERTY' stickers all over him. Just so she would know… so that everyone would know. Jacob belonged to me and no one else.

I knew what I was feeling and the way I was acting was not rational. What claim did I have over him? Even so, I knew I was just as important in his life as he was in mine. No one could take that away or even worse, take my place, right?

When class was over, Jacob walked me to my next class. He put his arm around my shoulders as we walked through the halls. As we got to my next class he lightly kissed my forehead.

"See you at lunch," he said.

"Okay."

He turned around and I watched him walk down the hall. He always kissed me on the forehead but it hadn't been till now I had felt that I wanted something more. Not only had I wanted it to be more then just a kiss on the forehead but it felt to me like it meant more.

As I turned back, about to walk into class I saw Jordan staring at me across the hall. I glared back and walked into class.

I found a seat in the middle of the room. I pulled out my note book and began doodling. I was in Home Economics class. I had decided to take this class because I thought it would be fun. I looked around the classroom and noticed that the class was mostly girls.

A group of three girls came in giggling and laughing. They sat near the front of the classroom. I recognize the girl with the light brown hair. She was the girl I saw driving this morning.

"Annabel, I can't believe you turned down Mike again!" the girl with blonde hair said.

I looked back at my notebook, pretending to be really into what I was drawing but continued to eavesdrop.

"I'm not really into him," she said.

"How can you not be into him? Everyone is into him."

"Really? Everyone? Well that changes everything!"

"Be serious!"

"I am being serious, Emma. We have nothing in common and everyone knows he is only into me because it's a challenge for him. I have no interest in having a relationship with someone where I come third."

"Third?"

"Yes, one himself, two his car and three me."

"Well I would have at least gone out on one date, if not just to stare at him."

"Maybe, but he would ruin the moment by talking."

"I think his self-esteem has been taking quite a hit today. He is going to have to kiss the Mr. GQ he thought he was a shoe in for mock elections goodbye," the other girl said.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"Have you seen the new guys that just transferred?"

"Oh yeah, I heard Kelly talking about it last period I think," Emma said.

"Yeah, well it's like this huge family that just moved into town. There is like 6 or 8 kids, I'm not sure. I don't know if they are all adopted or if they are running some exclusive foster home where they only accept attractive kids."

"Oh come on, Sara, that's ridiculous," Emma said.

"I'm not lying. And I have my eyes set on the bronze hair boy. I think his name is Edward."

I quickly glanced over to the girls. I don't think normal teenagers would ever have to go through this or find themselves in this situation, I thought.

"He has this whole James Dean thing going on but like way hotter," she went on, "I think he might be into me."

I rolled my eyes.

"Where did you come to that conclusion?" Annabel asked.

"I don't know. I just have this feeling. He is like the sexiest guy ever."

_Ugh, I'm going to throw up._

"Did you not see the girl that is always with him, or has your lust really made you have tunnel vision?" Annabel asked.

"Oh come on, high school relationships never last that long. I'll give it 2 months," Sara said, "I might be able to push it to one month."

Annabel laughed and said, "I'm sure because the desperateness you are radiating will surely put him into a frenzy over you."

Sara stuck out her tongue and I tried not to laugh but I couldn't hide my smile. I glanced again towards their seats and caught Annabel's eyes. She smiled back at me. I didn't know what to do so I just glanced back to the front of the class.

The teacher walked in late and started talking about what we should expect this year for this class and how we were going to be graded. I was starting to like Annabel. She seemed like a good person and I thought she was funny. She had that same warmness about her that Jacob did. I hoped that if I ever made a human friend, which was looking more difficult than I anticipated, I wouldn't mind a friendship with someone like her.

After class I made my way through the halls. It was time for lunch. I caught Aunt Alice's scent and decided to catch her in the hall so we could walk together to lunch.

"Hey Alice," I said.

"Hi Nessie. How are things going so far?"

"Good, everyone has been nice."

"That's good. So would you mind telling me why you didn't want to use the Chanel bag that Rosalie and I got for you?"

"I'm sorry, it's really nice and I love it. It's just that I wanted something less fancy you know? How many kids do you see carrying a backpack or purse over 1000?"

"This is Forks all over again," she said to herself then turned to me, "You and your mom are exactly alike."

I shrugged, "Sorry."

As we made our way to the cafeteria, I saw my family at the table in the far end near the wall. I walked over to find my dad leaning against the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed and my mom in front of him rubbing his shoulder. The rest of my family was sitting at the table.

"Please Edward, if not for me, then for Nessie," was all I heard my mom say. My dad turned to me and gave me a weak smile. I tried to smile back but I never seen him so uneasy before.

As I sat next to Jacob he pushed some food for me to eat.

"All go with you to hunt later if you want but you should probably try and eat some of this too," Jacob whispered to me. I nodded.

"What's going on there?" I pointed to my parents.

I looked over at Emmett who started snickering and Jasper had a smile on his face. When I looked over to Rosalie she looked like she was trying not to smile as well.

"Your dad is just having a hard time at school today," Rosalie said.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked.

It was silent as I looked at my family hoping someone would tell me.

Finally Emmett spoke.

"Well it was one thing back in Forks where he had to hear every guys fantasy of your mom, but now he has to hear them about his daughter as well," He said.

I looked back at them and my mom was still trying to console him.

"No way!" I said. I was so embarrassed. I couldn't believe anyone would be thinking of me in that way and if they did, just the thought of my dad hearing it made my stomach turn.

"Why do you think we transferred into your classes?" Jasper asked, "It was the only thing keeping him from massacring the whole male population today. I guess the guys here are too scared of us to be having inappropriate thoughts when they see us near you."

"Speaking of which, we have first hour together as well," Emmett added.

I looked over to Jacob, whose hands were clutch into fists. I saw him look at my dad. My dad looked back at him and nodded. I saw his fists clench even tighter.

I sighed. This wasn't how I was planning on my first day going. I began wishing that school was over and I could just go home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. Hopefully you'll like this chapter. I'll keep knocking out chapters as fast as I can. Please review and thanks again!!**

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I was glad for the day to be over. My first day of school had not exactly gone the way I had imagined. I had not made any friends and at the rate I was going I'd probably graduate with none. We had gotten back from hunting an hour ago. We came back to hang out at Jacob's place.

I was sitting across the couch from Jacob. I looked up from my book and watched him for a moment. He was fixing my bracelet he had given me for my first Christmas. He had to fix it a couple times each year as I continued to outgrow it. This time should be its last revision. The memory of the first time he gave it to me flashed in my mind.

It was early Christmas morning. The sun had just begun to rise. I could faintly remember the stress and uncomfortable energy that month that had surrounded my family.

I was sitting in his lap watching the sun rise when he asked if I had wanted my Christmas present now. I nodded anxiously with my hands already out. He chuckled and placed a beautiful woven bracelet in them. I held it close to my face, closely inspecting it.

.

_"It's a promise bracelet," he said._

_"A promise bracelet?" I asked. _

_He took my wrist and delicately tied the bracelet on._

_"Sometimes a great phenomenon happens to the some people in the Quileute pack. It's called imprinting. After someone phases for the first time they may stumble upon someone and a big change occurs."_

_I remembered looking up at him wanting to know more._

_"When he sees that person he imprinted on it's a life changing experience," he continued, "It's like he is a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. They are forever tied to that person and there is nothing more important in the world than them."_

_I touched his face and showed him images of me and the sunset. I had wanted to know if he had imprinted on me._

_He smiled as he pushed a hair out of my face and said, "Yes."_

_I then started to show him images of him and the sun, then moved to images of my favorite moments together. I wanted him to know how much he meant to me. That he was my sun too._

_He took my wrist that held the bracelet in his hand. _

_"I promise that I will always be there for you," he said as he leaned down to my ear and whispered, "and I'll forever be yours."_

It was my favorite memory. I had been thinking about that moment a lot. I could feel the bond there but I was frightened by these new feelings that I was now experiencing. I didn't know if it was wrong to feel this way and I was too scared to ask. The thought that he may not feel what I'm feeling hurt too much to think about it. I knew we would always be tied together but could he also be tied to me but romantically love another?

"It's done," he said as he looked at me.

I walked over and sat close enough to feel the heat of his skin on mine. He took my wrist and tied the bracelet on.

He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Forever yours."

I felt this electricity shoot down my spine and my breath caught. _Now, ask him now_, I thought. This was the perfect moment.

All of sudden he was up and standing looking out the window before I could say anything.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"No," he said still staring at the window. "You should probably get some sleep. Remember we have school tomorrow."

I groaned as I got up.

"Okay. Meet you at the car in the morning?" I said.

"Sure. Sweet dreams."

"Good night," I said as I stepped out his door.

I walked across the backyard and into the back door of the house. I heard the piano playing in the great room filling the house. I darted up the stairs and nearly ran to my room. As soon as I was in I closed the door. I quickly changed into my pajamas and made my way over to the window seat. I sat down and peered over to the pool house. I could see Jacob move throughout the room. I leaned my head against the wall. My eyes were getting heavy. I watched him step outside and head out into the forest. I wondered where he was going. A few minutes later I heard the piano stop. My father suddenly appeared on the back deck. He looked up and saw me in the window. He looked deep in thought. He turned away and ran into the forest. I had decided to wait for them to come back, but my eye lids had won the battle.

I had wanted to ask Jacob about last night but every time I tried to start a conversation he answered in one word answers. He seemed distant like his mind was somewhere else. I decided that I wasn't going to say anything to him till he said something first when he was dropping me off to my Home Economics class but all he said was "I'll save you a seat at lunch."

What had happened a few days ago? A few days ago I didn't feel this uneasy about our relationship. Everything three days ago was perfect. It seemed like it was so clear. What had changed? A few days ago I could have asked him anything, why did I felt so uneasy this time?

I walked into the classroom and sat in the same seat I sat in yesterday. I opened my notebook again and started doodling. I looked up to see Annabel walk in the doors. I was surprised to see that she was without her friends. We locked eyes and she smiled. She came over to where I was sitting and sat down next to me.

"Hi, I'm Annabel. Nessie, right?" she said.

"Yes. Nice to me you."

"How do you like it here?"

"Its nice." I couldn't think of anything else to say.

She laughed, "Yeah, a bit dreary but it has its upsides."

"So your part of that Brady Bunch family that just moved?"

"Yep."

"That must be nice to have such a big family. It's just me in my family, only child. Don't worry though, I'm good at sharing."

I laughed. I looked at her and noticed that she had more of an exotic look than I had noticed before. I was curious.

"What nationality are you?" I asked.

"Oh, I get that a lot," She said and then pointed to herself, "mixed breed."

"Me too!"

"Really? My father is white and my mother was Vietnamese. What about you?"

_Oh crap_. I wasn't the mixed breed she was thinking of. I knew I didn't look multi-cultural. I was as white as the come.

"Half Canadian and half English," I thought of quickly.

She laughed.

The teacher came in and asked us to pair off.

"Partner?" she said.

"Sure."

As we worked through the cooking project together it was nice to find that I was perfectly at ease with her. I hadn't interacted with many humans besides my own family. She told me stories about her family and I was glad to find out that she was new here too. She had just moved a year ago. She gave me a run down of people at the school and who to avoid. I listen to her attentively as she went over the cool events the school had over the year. My ears perked up when she brought up homecoming. I had wanted to go. Unlike my mom, I enjoyed dancing and I watched homecoming dances all the time on TV. I really wanted to experience that.

"Have you thought about who you want to go to homecoming with?" She asked.

"No, not yet," I said. I really hadn't thought of who I would go with, just that I had wanted to go. I started feeling anxiety.

"How about you?" I asked.

"Stag. I like to be able to dance with everyone."

"That's a good plan."

"Yeah, it's nice to go with just friends. It doesn't put any high romantic expectations on the night, your just there to have fun."

I nodded, that did sound better.

"So if you don't mind me asking, how is everyone related in your family? It seems kinda confusing."

"Yeah it is. Uhm, Alice, Emmet and Bella are siblings. They were adopted first. Jasper and Rosalie are twins and they were adopted next. Then my brother Edward and I came. Last year my parents took in Jacob. He is emancipated so he has no legal guardians but he stays with us in the pool house."

"Very Ryan Atwood from The O.C."

I shrugged, "I guess so."

"So who is dating who? Sorry if I'm prying, I'm just so curious."

"No its okay. I'm sure it looks weird from the outside. Alice and Jasper are together, so is Emmett and Rosalie and my brother is dating Bella."

"And you're dating Jacob?"

I blushed, "Oh no, were not romantically involved. He's just my best friend."

She raised her eyebrow, "But you want to be?"

"Want to be what?"

"Want to be, you know… romantically involved."

I couldn't think of anything to say. She caught me completely off guard. I suddenly felt exposed, like she caught me.

"It's okay," she said quickly then whispered, "It'll be our little secret."

It was silent for a moment. I was speechless. I kept trying to think of something…anything to change the subject. Finally she thought of something first.

"So what's the deal with your step parents? Are they trying to be the next Brangelina or are they running a dating service for orphaned children?"

I laughed, "No, nothing like that. My siblings and I are just fortunate that they have brought us all together."

"I don't know. I might have to ask them to adopt me. I may need a date for prom."

We laughed together. _I might have made my first human friend_, I thought to myself.


	6. Chapter 6

"We should hang out sometime," Annabel said as she was gathering her things to leave.

"Yeah, defiantly," I said.

"Actually there is a pool party Friday night, if you'd like to go. You should come. "

"Pool party at night?"

"Yeah, there is this country club with an awesome pool. We sneak in at night. Spence worked there two summers ago and he has a key to get in. They never changed the locks."

I debated for a second. Some reckless teenage activity sounded appealing to me.

"Sure, sounds fun," I said.

"Great! I'll give you all the details later."

As I gathered my things I noticed Jacob waiting for me by the door. I was on my way to walk up to him but Annabel already beat me.

"You must be Jacob," she said to him with her hand already extended out.

Jacob smiled and shook her hand, "Yep, you are?"

"Annabel. Man, are your hands super warm! Did you sit on them all last hour?"

Jake laughed.

She turned to me and mouthed, 'Super cute!'

I smiled back hoping that Jake didn't catch that.

"Well, I'll see you around Nessie. Don't forget Friday! Your invited too Jacob!" She yelled as she was walking away.

"What's Friday?" Jacob asked as we made our way to the cafeteria.

"There is a pool party at night."

"At night?"

I shrugged.

"Are you going to go?"

"I want to. You don't think my parents will care do you?" I said.

"I wouldn't think so. It's not like they would be worried about your safety, probably more worried about theirs."

"You'll come right?"

"I don't want to impose or anything. These are your friends."

"Are you kidding me? You can't be serious."

"What?"

"Yes Jake, it would be a huge imposition if you came. I'd be so embarrassed if they realized I have such a lame best friend," I said sarcastically.

"You think you're funny?" He said with his playful grin that I love.

I pointed to myself, "Hilarious."

Very quickly he swiftly picked me up and hung me over his shoulder, my butt in the air. I started laughing and smacking his back with my hand.

"Let me down!" I said as best I could through my laughter.

"Uhm… no horsing around in the halls," said an unsure voice.

Jake put me down. It was the principle. He was looking up at Jacob, slightly uneasy about using his authority.

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again," Jacob said in his most sincere voice.

"Yes, please make sure that it won't," he said as quickly as he moved out of Jacob's way.

I snickered.

As we made our way through the lunch line, I noticed his tray was pretty light.

"Not hungry today?" I asked.

"No, I'll just eat your families prop food."

As we walked towards our table I caught the Spence's eye. I looked at his table to find that his two other friends were looking at me as well. The second I caught them looking they turned away. I then turned to find my dad giving the death glare to Spence's table.

I went to go sit by my mom, while Jake sat next to me on the other side.

"Is dad going to be alright?" I asked her.

She glanced over to him and rubbed his shoulders trying to ease the tension he was holding.

"You know your dad. He has always been a little over protective."

"Not only do I have to hear their thoughts," my father hissed, "but I have to hear them boasting about it out loud to each other. I have those mongrels in my 3rd hour."

He then snorted. "In what universe would they even have a chance?" He said to himself.

Suddenly I saw Emmett across the cafeteria but he wasn't walking to our table. _Oh god_, I thought. He is walking to Spence's table. I saw him pull up a chair and sit down with them. He had a menacing smile on. I looked at my Dad who had that exact same smile.

"Hey guys, don't mind if I sit here, do you?" Emmett said to them. I could hear him from our usual table.

All three of the guys looked at Emmett with absolute fear in their eyes. They shook their heads quickly and made room, trying to angle themselves farthest away from him.

"So I've been hearing that you guys have been saying a lot of ungentlemanly things about my family… specifically the girls."

"N-no way. We would never do that," Spence stammered out.

"Hmm… I wonder… " Emmett said acting like he was deep in thought, "which one of my family members would you have been talking about."

The three guys looked at Emmett with fearful eyes.

"It couldn't have been my Rosalie, could it?" Emmett said as he shook his head then laughed, "No, no it couldn't have been. No offence, but she is way out of your league. Plus, I don't think you could handle her, I can barely handle her…if you know what I mean." Emmett flashed a grin to Rosalie who blew him a kiss back. Emmett continued, "Hmm…it couldn't have been Alice. She is one of those high maintenance chicks. Trust me guys, you'd be broke in an hour. Plus, I can't even imagine what Jasper would do if he knew you guys had any dirty thoughts about her."

They immediately turned to look to Jasper, who grinned back at them flashing his menacing teeth. I saw their faces turn stark white.

"Well, I hope for your sake there is no way you guys were talking about Bella or Nessie. The last guy who tried to make a move on them, oh man" he pretended to cringe then shook his head. "That's why we had to move out here. Edwards is very, _very_ protective of his girlfriend and his sister."

Emmett pretended to think for a moment and said, "Maybe a little on the crazy side."

They looked at my dad who had the same menacing smile with his eyes glared back at them.

Jake tried not to laugh.

"Not funny," I said to him.

"Come on, Nessie, they look like their about to pee themselves."

I looked back to the table. All of a sudden Emmett flashed a big grin.

"Well guys, it was great talking with you. See you around," he said. The looks on their faces showed that they were hoping to never see him or any of my male family members around.

Emmett made his way back to the table and sat down next to Rosalie, gracefully putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Well, that should hopefully take care of that. Hopefully they will be too scared to only think of how to stay away from the Cullen girls."

I shook my head and looked down at my food. I wasn't going to let this bother me. Maybe they would stop thinking of foolish things and my dad could finally relax at school. I was trying to shake this off and remembered last hour. I was on some sort of high, pleased with myself that I had possibly made a new friend… a normal human friend and she had asked me to a party. The thought of going to a typical high school party made me giddy. I could, for once in my life, pretend to be a foolish teenager. My childhood had gone so quickly I had not had a chance to really live it. I was now in a point in my life where I could act my physical age around people.

My father looked at me and smiled.

"Made a new friend today?" he asked.

"Yes," I blushed. He could hear how absolutely elated I was by this and I was slightly embarrassed.

"She invited Jacob and I to a pool party Friday night," I said.

"Nessie, don't you think it may be too soon to be around so many humans. Maybe you need to ease into it first," my mom said.

"I'll be fine mom. I've been okay around grandpa and all of Jacob's family. Nothing will happen, I promise," I said my voice turning pleading. I really wanted to go. "Jacob will be there too, so if anything did happen, he'd be with me. He wouldn't let me do anything I would regret later."

I looked at Jacob, expecting him to chime in but he was eating deep in his own thoughts.

"She'll be fine. Everyone who went to the party on Friday will be back at school on Monday," Alice said. She couldn't see Jacob and I's future, or the pool party but she could see that everyone would be back to school the next week unharmed.

"Well remember Nessie to mind yourself around them. You don't want to do anything suspicious," my mother continued.

"Mom, I play human better than any of you," I said. It was easier for me because I was half human.

She sighed, "Just be careful."

"I will. I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks so much for the awesome reviews. I really appreciate them. Hopefully this chapter was little longer than most. I can't wait to write chapter 8, that's when things start really getting good!! So be on the look out! Let me know what you think of this chapter.**

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The car ride home had been just as this morning…silent or only one word answers. It was beyond making me uncomfortable, it was now down right irritating. Jake and I never had these uncomfortable silences and there had never been a time where I felt like I couldn't ask what he was thinking. So while we were driving back home I decided that I was just going to ask.

"What's going on with you?" I asked as I turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. It's like you got something else has taken over your mind. What's up with the one word answers I've been getting?"

"Sorry Nessie, I've just been thinking about of lot of things lately."

"What kinds of things?"

He sighed and looked at me.

"It's just that you are growing up so fast. Sometimes it's hard for me to adjust, you know?"

I laughed. "Hard for you to adjust?"

"Yeah. I have to remind myself that even though you act like an adult and you look like an adult, your really only 6 years old."

I frowned. I didn't want him to keep reminding himself that I had only been alive for 6 years. In my head, I was an adult. I felt that physically and mentally we were equals. Why could he not see that as well?

"I am an adult," I said quietly.

"Technically, the United States law says you are not an adult till you lived for 18 years."

"Since when do we follow the United States law? Rather we don't follow any law, not the law of gravity and defiantly not the law of practical science."

He shook his head.

I didn't like this mood he was in.

"Please Jacob, no more talk about me being technically 6. It's not like I'm six years old, I've just lived for only six years. I am who I am. I'm different, I've accepted it, and you should too."

"Nessie I have accepted it."

"Clearly you have not if you keep reminding yourself I'm six years old."

He didn't say anything back.

"Please Jacob," I said again, "no more talk about this. Please don't think of it anymore."

He looked at me.

"Please," I said again as I pushed out my bottom lip.

"Very tragic, Nessie."

The week had past quickly. Word had gotten around about what Emmett's comments at lunch and I was being avoided like a plague by all of the male student body.

My new favorite class, besides the two that I had with Jake, was becoming my home economics class. I found Annabel a riot. She would tell me hilarious stories that made me laugh; they were mostly about her summer with her friends. It was nice to get caught in trivial teenage dramas. It felt as if we were kindred spirits. I was a different person that hour, I was more human.

It was Friday and I was looking forward to tonight. The only thing that was bothering me today was that I was going to ask Annabel. I was going to ask her if she would like to sit with my family today for lunch. I was nervous about asking her. Maybe she didn't really think of me as a friend but just an acquaintance. Maybe she had invited me tonight only out of pity. I mean really, the only people I hung out with at this school were my family.

It wasn't my idea to ask her to join my family for lunch, it had been my parents. They wanted to meet her, make sure she was a good friend for me, do the responsible parent thing. I tried to protest but I knew that they weren't worried about my safety or bad influences; they had just wanted to act like parents. It meant a lot to them, plus their curiosity of the new friend that I had made. I felt bad. I had grown so quickly that they hardly had time to be parents. They promised they wouldn't interrogate, especially since it would of looked weird that my brother and his girlfriend were this protective.

I sighed. We were finishing up for the day, cleaning the baking utensils we used today.

"Hey Annabel," I started.

"What's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to join Jacob and me today for lunch."

She paused, considering.

"You mean sit with your family too?" She asked.

Ugh, I felt stupid for even asking. I was regretting it already.

"Yeah," I said

"Uhm… sure." She sounded unsure; hesitant.

"You don't have to if you don't want. It's no big deal."

"No, I want to. I'm sorry, it's just that your family is kinda intimidating."

I laughed. I knew my family was intimidating, but it was nice for her to be honest and admit why she was hesitant.

"They're really not bad at all really. I know they seem pretty uhm….(_trying to think of the right word_) reserved but once you get to know them, they're alright."

"Is that rumor about your brother true?"

Rumors had been flying about my dad after the cafeteria incident with Emmett. I wasn't sure which ones she was referring to.

"No, none of them true."

"So the one about jail time?"

"Nope."

"Mental hospital?"

"Nope."

"Government experiment…?"

Government experiment? I hadn't heard that one. I shook my head.

"Yeah that one sounded a little too off. Okay, sounds fun."

As we walked to my family's table, I could hear her heart speed up a little. I looked at her to give her a reassuring smile. She smiled back. I saw her look at the table she usually sat at. Her friends starring back with wide eyes. She just waved back at them. As we sat down, I started to introduce her.

"That's Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, Bella and Edward and you already met Jacob."

She nodded her head and I continued, "Everyone, this is Annabel."

"It's nice to meet you, Annabel," my mother said.

"Hi," she said weakly, "Nessie has told me great things about all of you."

"Specifically me right?" Emmett said, "I hope she shared the awesomeness that is me."

"Awesomeness?" Jasper asked with his raised brow.

"No, she must have forgotten to share that," Annabel said as she smiled at Emmett.

Emmett frowned and everyone laughed. The tension had eased a little. I watched my dad stare at her intently like he was focusing on something.

"So Annabel said that you guys are going to a pool party tonight?" my mom continued.

"Oh yeah, it should be a lot of fun. Probably the last one of the season, before it get's too cold. Just a lot of cool people hanging out. Our group has a good mix. Some jocks, some band kids…" she all of a sudden looked around at the table, "hey, have you guys thought about joining the football team? It may be a little late, you would have missed some practices but I'm sure the coach would let you join. Our football team is in some desperate need of help."

Emmett and Jasper's eyes lit up. But they knew it would be impossible for them to join a sports team. As much as they wanted to show up those cocky jocks the safety factors where too high to be ignored. Someone could get hurt on the field and might bleed or worse, they could forget to mind their actions for a split second and kill someone. Also, they didn't want to draw unnecessary attention. Though, I was surprised no one had asked them before.

"Oh no, they might look athletic but trust me they are not at all athletically inclined," my mom said then looked to Emmett, "Especially Emmett, he may not look like it, but he is terribly clumsy. He can barely walk across a floor without accidentally tripping over something. Isn't that right Emmett?"

My mom grinned at him. I knew this was to get back for all the times he had made fun of her when she was human. Emmett glared back.

"Yes, I'm terribly uncoordinated," he grumbled out.

My dad, Jacob and Jasper tried not to laugh.

"Really? That's too bad," Annabel said. "Well either way, tonight should be a lot of fun. All of you are invited to the party as well if you would like to come."

Alice's eyes lit up. Anything having to do with a party usually did. My stomach turned. I did not want my parents or my aunts and uncles at the party. How dorky would that be? I know nobody knew, but I would. My first high school party and there I would be, partying with my parents. My dad looked at me.

"Oh we wish we could, but we all made other plans this evening. Maybe some other time," he said.

Alice frowned as well as my other aunts and uncles. They were getting better hanging out with humans. Though at first humans were automatically avoided them, their instincts telling them all the same thing, that they were dangerous. But once my family put in the effort, they would warm to them eventually. They got a lot of good practice back in Forks. They hadn't tried to seclude themselves as much as the once had. This helped them look more human.

I looked at my dad and said thank you in my head. He nodded back.

The rest of the lunch hour I watched Annabel as she warmed up to my family. Her pulse would quicken only when someone would smile and accidentally show their teeth. Overall I was impressed by how seemingly comfortable she sat with all of us. I started noticing my father would look at her curiously time to time. I started wondering what that was all about. I couldn't imaging that it was someone else he could not hear their mind. My mother was the only person like that too him.

As lunch ended I decided to walk with my dad and mom to class. I was curious about what was in Annabel's mind that made him look at her so intently.

"So what did you think?" I asked.

"She seems like a nice girl. You'll have a lot of fun tonight," my mom said.

I nodded then turned to my dad, "What was that all about?"

"What was what all about?"

"I don't know. It looked like you noticed something peculiar."

"Oh, it's probably nothing. She really has the best of intentions, she's a good person."

"She doesn't think anything weird about her family?"

"Actually no, just the opposite," he laughed, "Emmett reminds her of her own brother."

"Brother?" I asked. I could have sworn she said she was an only child.

"Yes, is something wrong?"

"She told me that she was an only child."

"She could be now. Sometimes tragedies happen, Nessie," my mom said.

How sad, she probably didn't want to share that she had lost her brother. I looked at my dad and noticed he was deep in thought.

"What peculiar thing did you notice?" I asked him.

"It's just that when she was remembering her own family, I was under the impression they were all long gone. When she pictured their family in her mind, they were from a different era."

"Like she lived in a different time?"

"How could that be?" Mom said.

"I don't know, it's like our memories, they are for obvious reasons go more far back. But I can't imagine why this teenage has memories like that."

I looked back at my dad with curious eyes and more questions that could hardly be asked before next class.

"Don't worry about Nessie. We will talk about it later."

I nodded and started to walk to my class. Why would Annabel have memories like that? If she lost her family, I would imagine her having a more dark personality. But she had such a bright, funny person. It was like she had not a care in the world and did not care what the world thought of her. This was unusual human characteristic. Everyone thought about how others perceived them, everyone cared… even some vampires. I only hoped to become closer friends so that maybe should unravel this secret to me.

Tonight, I had other plans. Reckless teenage fun was on the agenda.


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally things are starting to get good!! Hope you guys like this chapter as much I do. I'm impressed with myself today. I wrote two chapters! Go me! Anyways, enjoy and please review. Thanks!**

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I sat on my window seat looking into Jacob's windows down below. This was becoming a bad habit. Every night that I made my way back to my room at the end of the night, I'd find myself in this same spot watching him. What was it about him that made it so addicting to watch? I loved his mannerisms. The way he would smirk when he saw something funny on the TV or even just the way he would scratch the back of his head when he was thinking something.

He was sitting on his couch reading a book. He must know that I sit up here and watch him so often. I couldn't imagine that he wouldn't but I didn't care. I started to look intently on his face and noticed how perfect his lips were. I could only imagine how warm and soft they would feel against mine. I briefly touched my lips with my fingers. I smiled. I could imagine tonight. Tonight my family had gone out. No father around to pry into his daughters thoughts. I let myself get carried away by my fantasies.

I imagined myself walking downstairs and into his pool house. I would sit across from him and tell him everything that I wanted to say. I would tell him not just that I loved him, but I was_ in_ love with him. I would tell him that I wanted nothing more but to feel him beside me and be surrounded by his warmth. I'd take my hand touch his cheek, tracing my fingers across his lips. I would pull myself closer to him where our lips would almost be touching. He would take me in his arms and tell me all the things I wanted to hear. That he wanted me the same way I wanted him.

I snapped out of my fantasy as I realized he was walking out his door and headed towards the house. _Crap! _I should have been getting ready to go out tonight. I quickly put on my bathing suit then put jeans and a t-shirt over it. I grabbed my bag that had a towel in it and rushed downstairs to find Jacob sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Ready?" he asked as he looked up.

"Yep, all ready to go."

"Do you know where we are going?"

I handed the piece of paper to him. Annabel had made me a map.

Once we were in the car he looked at me. I could hardly stay in my seat due to my excitement from both for tonight and what I had been thinking about earlier. I had been tapping my feet on the car floor.

"Pretty hyped up aren't you?" He asked.

I shrugged, "Just excited."

He laughed, "Yeah, me too actually."

"Really?"

"Sure, I mean high school took a weird turn during the middle of it back in Forks. Sometimes I feel like I missed out on a few things. Too busy fighting vampires and protecting your mom. It'll be nice to pretend tonight."

I laughed. I knew in the past he had a thing for my mom. I know it sounds super creepy and in any other circumstance, it would have been. But Jacob has always been honest and told me everything. He thought his draw towards her had something to do with fate making him find his way to me. If he had shut her out of his life, he would have never met me. That thought alone was unbearable. I almost thanked the stars he pursued my mom. Though, from what I hear him and my dad got into it often. I couldn't imagine it. They had become close friends, practically brothers. For one Christmas, my dad even bought him a Ferrari. Jacob's face was absolutely hilarious. I thought he was going to jump out of his skin he was so elated. My dad was equally as happy as he said, "Finally!! This is the response I've been looking for!"

We pulled into the parking lot that had one dimly lit light. I saw a group of people huddled up against the wooden gate.

"Hey Nessie! Hey Jacob!" Annabel said as she waved us over.

Jacob and I made our way over to the group.

"Nice car," she said.

I blushed.

"Thanks."

"Hey everyone, this is Nessie and Jacob. I'm sure you've seen them around the school halls," she said to the group then turned to us, "and this is everyone."

"Hey," Jacob said to the group.

The faint hi came from them, a little cautious of Jacob.

"Dammit!" I heard a voice say that was closer to the wooden fence. I looked over to find Spence wrestling with the door.

"What's wrong?" I heard someone say.

"They took of the lock off completely and it looks like they locked it up with a chain behind the door," Spence said.

The groans came.

"Well that sucks," Annabel said to me.

I could have easily jumped the fence and snapped the chain but I thought it would like slightly suspicious. I felt disappointment creep in. I had really looked forward tonight. I had not wanted to end, especially before anything started.

"Hey, where did Jacob go?" Annabel asked.

I hadn't noticed he left. All of a sudden I heard the chain snap and saw the door open.

"How did you do that?" Spence asked Jacob.

"Found an easy spot to climb over the fence and the chain was rusted through," he said then looked to me and winked. I knew very well the chain was not at all rusted at all. I smiled back thankful that my night was not ending.

Everyone thanked Jacob and he was suddenly the hero of the night. Everyone was jumping into the pool, floating on their floats that they brought. I watched Jacob, as people as usual gravitated towards him. I watched him laugh and joke with the group. I was so swollen with pride that he was my best friend…and hopefully something more. I floated next to him when I noticed Spence a few feet away from me. I decided to swim over.

"Hey Spence," I said when I reached him, reminding myself not to swim so fast.

"Oh…hi Nessie," He said suddenly looking for a way to escape.

"How are things?"

"Oh good, good…super good." Suddenly he caught his friend's eye and swam away.

"Hey Tom!" he yelled for him.

I frowned.

"Don't worry about it," I head Annabel say as she swam towards me. "He's still pretty spooked by your brothers."

I nodded.

"Having fun? She asked.

"Yeah, I am."

She looked over to the group that Jacob was in.

"Jacob's pretty cool. How long have you guys been friends?"

"Oh gosh, since I was born."

"You knew him since you were born?"

"Uh, yeah our families knew each other. That's why it was so easy for my parents to take him in."

Lying was getting annoying. I hated making up more lies just to make the old lies justifiable.

"Wow, so you guys grew up with each other then."

"Yep." _Sort of like that_, I thought. I grew while he stayed the same.

"I'm surprise you guys aren't dating already?" She said.

I looked at her surprised and she laughed.

"Oh come on! No need to be embarrassed Nessie. It's so obvious that he is way into you."

My heart skipped slightly.

"You think so?" I whispered.

She laughed and nodded her head.

"So what's the hold up then?" She asked.

I sighed, "I don't know. I don't think he wants our friendship to go there."

I didn't want to get into the gritty details of it.

"I don't think that's true. The way he looks at you makes me think he wants something more."

I looked back at Jacob admiring how carefree he always seemed to be. I admired how easy it was for him to make friends.

"Take control, Nessie. Make the first move," she said to me.

I smiled. Maybe I will.

The party continued to the late hours of the night. Slowly people filed out of the pool.

"No curfew?" Annabel asked me.

I gave her a confused look. Curfew?

"Uhm, no?" I said back.

"Lucky! I have to be home in 15 minutes or I'll grounded _again!_ I should probably get going. I'll see you Monday."

I watched her get out of the pool. As she got her towel and was leaving he looked to Jacob, then to me and winked. The butterflies in my stomach started stirring.

Soon it was just Jacob and I in the pool.

"So, did you have fun tonight?" he asked. We were treading water only a few feet apart from each other.

"Yes. I had a lot of fun."

"Did I embarrass you tonight? Any talk about how lame your best friend is?" he jokingly said.

I laughed.

"No, just the opposite. I'm apparently the lame one."

"Well, it's a good thing you're gorgeous. It's easier to look past the lameness."

I splashed him.

"Are you starting a water fight?" he asked as he splashed a little towards me.

"Maybe," I said as I splashed a little back.

"I don't think you want to do that."

I splashed back. "Yes I do."

He started swimming closer as I slowly backed away.

"You know you'll lose," he said still flicking water at me with his fingers.

"I never lose."

"Because you always cheat."

"No, I win at all costs."

He stopped for a second and raised his eyebrow at me. Just enough time for me to unleash my tidal wave of water onto him.

"You're going down Nessie," he said as he quickly started swimming towards me. I giggled but suddenly realized he was moving faster than I had realized. As I turned around to start swim away, his arm caught me around my waist and pulled me down with him. I tried to wiggle my way out but his grasp was firm. As I twisted around in his arm, I planned to push myself away but I stopped suddenly. I realized how close I was to him. I could feel his warm arms around me and his warm body pressed up against mine. I looked up at him to find his eyes staring intensely into mine.

I didn't know what I was doing until I had already done it. I took my arms and wrapped them around his neck as I pulled myself closer. I pressed my lips tightly against his. I desperately wanted him, every part of him. The closer I held myself to him, I kept thinking it wasn't close enough.

His mouth moved softly against mine as I could feel him pull me tighter to him. It felt like the same intensity was radiating off of him. My head was swimming and I was starting to feeling faint. It felt so right, like I fit perfectly there in his arms. I didn't want the moment to end.

As if he read my mind, I felt him reach at my sides and pulled me away. I stared back at wondering as I caught my breath.

"Nessie, I…I can't," he whispered.

"You can't?"

"I just-"

I didn't want to hear anymore. I swam out of the water in light speed, grabbed my clothes and put them on as fast as I could. I was embarrassed and couldn't shake that feeling of rejection. How could I have completely missed judged the situation? I thought he kissed me back. I thought he felt exactly what I did.

"Nessie, please. Let me explain."

I quickly jumped over the high fence.

"Nessie, where are you going?" He called after me.

"I've decided to run home!" I yelled back, already running as fast as I could.

The trees were quickly passing me by in a blur. The more I thought about what had happened, the more upset I got. I could feel the tears streaming down my face, the wind pushing against them. It was like the world no longer made any sense and I no longer knew where I belong. I felt empty and sick. I could hear my parents waiting for me on the porch of the house. My dad probably heard my thoughts as I was approaching the house, wanting to be there to console me. But I didn't want to talk to anyone, I was too upset. I wanted to be alone.

As I approached the house, I slowed down to a fast walk. I saw them anxiously waiting for me. Their eyes consumed with concern and worry. I looked at them quickly and shook my head and made my way past them. I was thankful they didn't call for me and want to talk about what had happened. I had a sudden urge to hide and my room was the only place I knew where to go. I couldn't go to Jacob anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

3:52 am. I glance back up at the ceiling. Jacob still hadn't come home yet. I only knew because I had been drifting in and out of sleep hoping to hear my car pull into the garage. The tears had slowed down, only letting a few escapes every so often.

I could hear the murmurings downstairs. If I tried, I could have heard every word said. I was sure they were talking about me but I had no interest in finding out if I was right. The only thing I caught was a faint "_stupid dog"_ from my Aunt Rosalie. That's when I decided to stop listening. Every so often I glanced though my window to where the pool house was. It was still dark, only faintly lit up by the reflecting pool lights.

Slowly I started to drift again.

4:34 am. I thought I heard a car coming up to the house, but they only passed by. I rubbed my eyes and turned to my side. I refused to look at the pool house anymore. It was getting pathetic.

I started to think about imprinting. Had I missed what it really meant? Maybe Jacob didn't want to be tied to me anymore. Maybe he was held here against his will and maybe he was upset he didn't have a choice. Am I upset that I didn't have a choice? I tried to imagine myself with someone else but I just couldn't. I quickly pushed it out of my mind. If I couldn't have Jacob, then I would just be alone. The thought of wanting anyone else in the way I wanted him seemed impossible.

5:24 am. I've hit a new low. I've decided to sit on my window seat, leaning my head against the window watching the pool house again. I shouldn't be this pathetic, but I can't sleep. I can't imagine why Jacob isn't back yet. I'm starting to worry if he is ever going to come back. This is the first time I didn't know exactly where he was. I didn't care if he doesn't want me in that way anymore. I find myself desperately wishing that things could go back the way they were. If I can't have him in the way that I want, then I'll take what I can get. I just want him to come home. I want my best friend back. I start promising myself that if he comes home soon, I'll run down to him. I'll apologize for what I did and we'll never speak of it again. The tears start escaping again.

The sunlight started to creep through the windows. I already knew my mom was sitting next to me. Her scent had always been comforting to me. I wondered how long she had been there. She slowly strokes my hair out of my face. I notice that I'm in my bed, though the last thing I remember I was still sitting by the window.

"Good morning, sweetie," my mom said.

I yawned and sat up. I wasn't sure I wanted to talk about this now.

"Rough night?" she asked.

I nodded my head. I looked up at her and could tell she had a rough night as well. She had probably spent the whole night worrying about me. All of sudden, the tears started running down my cheek.

She took me in her arms and more tears flooded out.

"Your father told me what happened." I looked up at her. "You know your father doesn't mean to pry but it killed him to see you so upset. He had to know what happened."

She wiped the tears off my face.

"I know you're confused and it hurts, but he does love you."

I shook my head.

"Not the way I love him," I whispered.

She sighed.

"Renesmee, sometimes men end up doing the wrong things even though they may have only the best intentions. He'll find his way back. They can only stay away from us for so long."

Just then I heard the car pull into the garage. I quickly got up to look out the window. He was home. I saw him quickly walk to the pool house with his hands in his jean pockets and his baseball cap pulled low.

My mom came to stand behind me.

"Why don't you spend sometime with Aunt Alice today? Give him some more time to think."

Shopping was usually on the agenda with Aunt Alice. Though the mall was the last place I wanted to be, I knew I couldn't be here. If I stayed I would end up locking myself in my room just so I could watch him. There was a knock on my door. Alice must have seen my mom's suggestion.

"Hi, Nessie. Would you like to go to the mall?" Alice asked as she opened the door.

"Yes, give me two minutes?" I asked.

"Okay. I'll wait downstairs."

My mom hugged me and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

The mall was a nice distraction, though my thoughts always kept turning back to Jake. Quickly it seemed I was holding a dozen bags. I hadn't remembered really trying anything on. I must not be much for company. I would have to get something for Alice, as an apology for being such a bad shopping partner. I remembered the handbag she was eyeing at the last store. She would have gotten it but I knew that Jasper already was giving her a hard time about how many bags she had and how many she hardly used. They were overtaking his side of the closet, which was dismal compared to Alice's side. I had heard him complain to my dad. Well, he couldn't say anything if I bought it for her as a gift.

"Thank you," she said.

I rolled my eyes and she shrugged.

"I figured it was you. I saw the bag sitting on my bed."

"Why don't we just turn around and get it now."

"Works for me."

As we turned around I heard my name being called.

"Hey Nessie! Wait up!"

It was Annabel. She was trying to catch up to us. I noticed that she was wearing a name tag. I didn't know she had worked at the mall.

"Hi Annabel. You work here?" I asked.

"Saving for college. Hi Alice, how are you doing?"

"Good, thank you for asking? How about you?"

"A little rough. I forgot I had to work so early this morning, so I'm a little tired. Looking forward for a nap."

Annabel turned to me, "So…. anything happen after I left?"

Alice could tell I was uncomfortable talking about last night, she gave me a look to see if I needed an easy out. I quickly shook my head. I didn't really mind talking to Annabel about what had happened. I was becoming more comfortable around her.

"Hey I'm going to pick up that sweater at Nordstroms. I'll meet you in the handbag department in a few?" Alice asked.

"Okay sounds good."

"It was nice seeing you Annabel," Alice said as she walked away.

"You too Alice." She waved goodbye.

I turned to Annabel. "Are you on break?"

"Yeah. 2 more hours to go and I'm done. So tell me, what happened?"

"Uhm… he wasn't… it didn't happen the way I wanted it to." I was trying to figure out a better way to say that I had been completely rejected.

Her eyes widened and shook her head.

"I can't believe it. That's so weird," she said. "I'm sorry."

I shrugged.

"Have you talked to him at all today?"

"Nope."

"Oh that's got to be weird. You guys living at the same house. That's probably why you're at the mall."

"Yeah, hanging out home didn't sound very appealing."

"Well he made a huge mistake. I know like 5 guys who would be willing to take his place in a second."

I laughed. "Thanks for making me feel better."

"I'm serious Nessie, they have been asking me if you have a date for homecoming. Actually, they have been asking me if I could run it by your brothers first."

"I don't know about homecoming anymore. I can't imagine going with anyone else," I said honestly. I had really looked forward to homecoming, I would be sad to miss it. But I guess I would have next year. Maybe by then, things will be different, I thought hopefully.

"Go with me and my friends! Oh Nessie, it will be so much fun. Just the girls!" she said as she grabbed my arms practically bouncing up and down.

"Okay," I laughed. "Sounds good." It did sound better. At least I wouldn't miss out.

"Hey I gotta get back. I'll see ya."

I waved goodbye.

When we arrived home, I made my way with all of my bags upstairs. As I got to my room, I quickly glanced out the window. I noticed Jacob walk out of his door and head to the house. He was past the pool when he turned around and headed back to the pool house. When he got to his door he stopped again. He shook his head, turned back around and started back to the house. Only this time he stopped halfway and turned back again.

_Looks like I'm going to have to be the brave one_, I thought. I took my bags and put them into the closet. I pulled out a new t-shirt that I had bought and decided to put it on. As I walked out of my room, I saw Jacob waiting in the hallway just outside my door.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi."

It was silent for a moment. He was looking at the floor, running his fingers on the back of his head. I was staring at him waiting for him to say something. He took a deep breath and looked up at me.

"Can we talk?" he asked finally.

"Okay."

He didn't move and neither did I. His eyes moved towards the stairs. I could hear the moments of my family. I knew he was uncomfortable talking with an audience, just as I was.

"Would you like to take a walk?" I suggested.

"Yes."

We walked outside through the forest. I could hear him following me from behind. When we were a few miles out, I stopped and turned around. I stared at him as he continued to stare at the ground. He took another deep breath and looked up.

"I wanted to apologize for last night. I tried to explain but you had left so fast."

_Apologize?_ I thought.

I eyed him closely. "What exactly are you apologizing for?"

"For kissing you. It was irresponsible, I shouldn't have done that."

I was shocked. I clearly remember that it was me who had made that move. That was one of the bravest things I've ever done. He wasn't taking credit for that one.

"I kissed you and you pulled away," I said.

"No, I kissed you and then pulled you away."

I shook my head.

"It's beside the point. I shouldn't have let that happen. You are too young and I wasn't thinking."

I ignored his too young comment for now. There was one thing I had to know.

"Did you want to kiss me?" I asked.

He was silent. He looked at me, like he wasn't sure if he should answer or not sure that he wanted me to know.

He sighed and finally answered, "Of course. It's all I have been thinking about… kissing you."

My heart skipped.

"Really?"

"Yes."

I walked over to him. I wanted to know more, to confirm that I wasn't alone in my feelings.

"Are you in love with me or do you just love me?"

He paused again and looked at me straight with intense eyes.

"I'm more than in love with you. I'm unhealthily obsessed with you."

I was floating, almost bursting inside. It was like everything was clear and the world made sense again. But as I looked at him he didn't seem to have the same feeling. It was like he dreaded it. I felt my heart sink.

"Then why did you pull away?" I asked

"Nessie, I had to. Do you realize you've only been alive for 6 years? You haven't lived your life yet, what happened shouldn't have happened till years from now."

"Like when?"

"When you're legal."

I laughed, "Are you kidding me?"

"No," he said with a very serious tone.

All of these emotions were running through me. It felt like I couldn't grasp any of them. I was so elated I could burst but then I was so taken a back that he was filled with dismay. It was like my feeling of bliss was wrong. It made me upset that he was making me feel that way. No, it made me furious.

"What I feel is wrong?" I asked as I glared at him.

"It's not wrong, it just…not the right time."

I stepped closer.

"So what do you suggest we do now? We act like last night never happened, like we don't have these feelings and wait 12 years? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

"It's not ridiculous," he said quietly.

"You're going to let me wait till the next time I have to repeat high school before I get a boyfriend?"

He didn't answer me. I could feel this avalanche of anger rolling through me, slowly getting bigger. I should probably step away from him but I only stepped closer

"I'm not a child, Jacob."

Every silent moment that passed added on to my fury. I wanted to shake him, knock some sense into him.

"So you're going to refute me? Not have me till twelve years have passed?" I stared him down.

Nothing again. My hand was shaking. A few tears dropped from my eyes. He was going to force me to pretend my feelings and his feelings don't exist for 12 years. I was seething. He has never denied me anything ever before and the one thing I wanted the most he wouldn't let me have. I stepped closer. I could almost feel his breath on his face. His heart was racing and his face pained.

I looked up at him.

"So what if I kiss you? Will you always push me away?" I asked barely pushing the words out of my mouth.

He looked down on my face. I could see the unjustifiable hurt in his eyes. He was doing this to himself…to us.

"Nessie, your six years old."

That's was it. I didn't have any control over my body. My shaking hand that had stood by my side came up and slapped him. I heard his jaw crack. I would have felt guilty but I knew he would heal in a minute. He needed a wake up call and to be honest, I could have taken his jaw off. I stepped back.

He looked down at the ground, his hand checking his jaw.

"That's the first time I got hit for not kissing someone," he mumbled.

I didn't know what he meant. Frustrated, I turned around back to the house. He followed me closely.

"You should probably have my grandfather look at that, just in case," I said over my shoulder. I was starting to feel guilty for what I had done. I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me but I felt a lot better.

As we made it to the house, almost reaching the back porch, Jacob caught my arm. I looked back at him. He looked miserable. His eyes watered over but he won his fight with the tears.

"Please Nessie. I can't stand you being upset at me," he pleaded.

"Where do we go from here then?" I asked.

He didn't say anything and I knew I wasn't going to change his mind, at least not tonight. But I also couldn't stand fighting with him. Like I thought before, if I couldn't have him the way I wanted it, I would take him any way I could. I needed him with me.

I sighed as I took his hand and lead him into the house.


	10. Chapter 10

**I wanted to say thank you once again for all of the great reviews! You guys are awesome! I'm having a ton of fun writing this story. Hope you like this new chapter. Please keep reviewing. :-)**

* * *

"Emmett, please stop laughing," my father pleaded.

I looked across the kitchen into the living room. Emmett was in near hysterics. Rosalie was shaking her head looking at him but she too was fighting a smile. My mother, Esme, Alice and Jasper had gone out to hunt. I could see where it might have been slightly amusing but not nearly as hilarious as Emmett was making it.

"I can't… really I'm … trying," he said struggling through the snickering.

I was sitting on the kitchen counter while Carlisle was looking at Jacob

"Do you feel any pain?" Carlisle asked him as he was feeling Jacob's jaw.

"Nope, none. I think it's all healed."

"It feels that way. Well, just be careful today."

He nodded.

Emmett was still struggling to stop laughing. I looked at my dad who was glaring at him.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

Jacob looked like he was going to be sick. His eyes didn't leave the floor.

"Well Nessie, funny story –" Emmett started.

"Enough Emmett," my father said.

"What?"

"Come on Emmett, let's go," Rosalie said as she dragged him out of the house by the arm.

I turned to my dad.

"It's nothing, Nessie," He said.

I shrugged it off.

"Why don't you and Jake go hung?" my father asked.

Jacob walked up to me.

"Would you like to go hunt?" He asked me hesitantly.

I thought about it for a moment. I was still a little worked up. It was probably a good idea to blow off some steam.

"Okay," I said.

I leaned against the trunk of the tree. I had perched myself on one of its branches. The wind pushed up against my back, while my hair flew forward. I pushed my hair behind my ears. I could hear Jacob on the ground behind me.

Jacob rarely fed when we hunted now. He had spent most of the time practicing his shape shifting. It was nice to have the company either way. His control had gotten so good that he could have stopped if he wanted to. But he was religious about shape shifting. He made sure he changed at least every other day. He needed to keep shifting to stay immortal. To ensure I could have forever with him.

I watched him walk in front of my view below me. He was putting his shirt over his head. My gaze immediately dropped to his bare back. I could see his muscles stretch as he pulled his shirt down. The warmth in my stomach grew and I bit my bottom lip.

"Ridiculous," I muttered to myself.

I jumped, landing inches behind him. I wanted so badly to put my arms around him and bury my face in his back, breathing all of him. Did he really have that much self control?

He turned around.

"Ready to head back?" he asked.

I nodded.

There was still awkwardness between us. Neither of us said very much. I followed him through the forest. We were just a few miles from home. I watched him move gracefully over the branches. My mind wandered once again where it shouldn't. _He couldn't fight me off_, I thought. We never wrestled before but I could imagine that I could hold my own. In the mist of deviant thoughts, the wind blew and I caught a familiar scent.

"Do you smell that?" I asked.

H looked back at me as the wind moved again.

"Now I do."

"What do you suppose she is doing so far out here?"

We changed our path to follow the scent. While we were walking Jacob called the house to make sure everyone was home. We usually went farther out but it was dangerous for someone to be out in this forest. Mistakes could have been made.

As we moved slowly through the forest, I could see through a small clearing. There was a figure in the distance. Annabel.

She was sitting on the ground facing us with her eyes closed. Her face was lifted to the sun like she was trying to take in its warmth. We walked closer, carefully as to not make a sound. Jacob fell back behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder. I looked up to find him staring forward, intensely at her. Something was happening.

I looked forward again. She was cradling a fawn in her lap, humming a song while she caressed the top of its head. The fawn was in pain, whimpering as it struggled. Its leg caught my eye. It was badly broken. I watch her slowly put her hand on the broken leg. The baby deer become suddenly very still. Instantly, Jacob and I stopped breathing, both staring and not believing what we were seeing. I could feel his hand on my shoulder tighten.

Just as she opened her eyes the fawn stood up, perfectly healed, as if there was never a break at all. It licked her hand as to thank her and took off running. Almost immediately she got up and started walking away from us She continued humming while she walked every so often kicking a rock or picking up a branch to throw. We followed her till she made it to the road. Her car was parked on the side. We stood in silence till the car was no longer in view and we could no longer hear it.

"We should go. They will be worried," Jacob said breaking the silence.

I stared back up at him, my eyes bewildered. What we just saw didn't make sense. I probably would not have believed it if Jacob had not been there with me. I was going to need confirmation on what I just saw.

We turned back and headed towards the house. I was so consumed with my thoughts that when I looked up I saw that I had fallen behind Jacob. I kept arguing with myself about what I just saw. Annabel was human. It was a fact. The way she smelled, her heart that beat, everything about her was a testament to her being a human.

Jacob turned around, walking back towards me. He grabbed my hand and led me back to the house.

I could see the house in the distance, thankful that we were almost there. I could hear all of my families voices in the living room.

As we had made it to the back porch, Jacob asked me, "What do you think we should do?"

I didn't know. Would I even bring it up to her? If I did, I couldn't imagine how I would even start the conversation. _"Hey I was in the forest and, I caught your scent. Well I decided to follow it and I stumbled upon you miraculously healing an animal. Why was I in the forest? Well funny you should ask. I was killing the animals that you were healing."_

"Nothing," was all I could say.

We stepped through the French doors into the living room.

"Nessie's right," Carlisle said.

I looked around and it seemed everyone was aware of what just happened.

"I just got done explaining what you and Jacob saw," my father said.

I nodded and sat down.

"Have you seen anything like that?" I asked.

He shook his head. I looked around to my family, all shaking their heads or quietly saying no.

My Aunt Rosalie had a unusual look in her eye. Almost helplessly hopeful or was it desire?

"Do you think-" she started.

"No, Rosalie," my dad said quickly.

She looked like she wanted to press on but Emmett shook his head at her while he grabbed her hand to hold.

"She is human right?" There were so many questions I had.

"I would assume so. My only explanation is that maybe she is an exceptional human being. Maybe its one of god's gifts," Carlisle said.

"It still doesn't make sense. She is only human. When Edward was human he was only sensitive to people's thoughts, Jasper was only very charismatic, Alice only had premonitions and I only blocked things. She is physically changing things…healing things. It's as powerful as vampire ability," my mother said.

"I don't know. I can't think of another explanation."

Well if she really is human, can you imagine the possibility of her gift if she was a vampire?" Jasper said.

"If her body didn't automatically fight the virus," my father chimed in.

"What do you mean? Are you implying venom could be fought off? That she could fight it off"

"Jasper, if she can heal things, I would imagine her body would be in this constant state of healing. Her body would fight off everything… even old age, which may explain her memories."

"What are you saying?"

My father shook his head, "I don't know, it would explain her thoughts. Her memories are all of a different time, a time where a normal 16 year old would not have memories of."

"She is immortal?"

The silence was deafening. No one spoke as the contemplated this theory.

"So we don't do anything? Not even ask her?" Emmett asked.

"No, not now. Edward will just keep have to keep a watch on her," Carlisle said and my father nodded.

"That poor girl. I hope she is not alone," Esme said quietly.

Was she alone? Did she know someone else with the same ability? Did her parents know? My list of questions kept growing.

With that, everyone pilled out of the room, each following their partner. It was Jacob and I left in the room. Both of us sitting on the couch, staring off in the distance, not saying a word.

The weeks following had become less dramatic and more routine. The first week of school just seemed like a dream. But the affects of it was still present. Jacob and I's relationship was still somewhat strained. Though, everyday we would drive together, we would always sit next to each other and he would always wait for me after every class to walk me to the next. My frustration would bottle up and I would be forced to bury it deep down. I sometimes linger near him and I could hear his heart speed up with mine, but he would quickly turn around and break away. I tried to keep my thoughts quiet because I knew my father was near. Sometimes I would be so frustrated not being able to think those thoughts I would run outside alone, far enough where I didn't have to hide anything. I was finding myself more alone. It ached to be around Jake and it pained me to try and keep it from my family.

The only thing keeping me somewhat sane was Annabel. With her I could pretend like I was a normal human, even when I knew that she was not. We had become closer over the weeks. Without our relationship I wouldn't have known what I would have done. I started to hope that the closer we got the more comfortable she might be to confide to me. I'd keep waiting for her to tell me her secret, but she said nothing, not that I would have expected her to.

One Wednesday afternoon she came into our home economics class. I watched her walk to her seat. She had some sort of jump in her step. I didn't understand what it was. I looked over to her and she smiled and waved. I was dying to ask her where this sudden exuberance had come from. I didn't have to. She pulled me to the side in the room.

"I met someone," she whispered.

"You did?" I whispered back.

"Yes."

I looked at her and her face was glowing.

"Who is it?" I said still keeping up the whispering.

"His name is Christian."

"Why are we whispering?"

"Because I don't want to jinx it."

I gave her an odd look.

"Please don't make fun of me. It's that I really like him. I just have really bad luck and I don't want anything to happen."

I laughed.

"Where did you meet him?"

"In the mall, near where I work."

I smiled at her. I was glad to see that she had found someone. I knew that she had caught many of the boy's eyes here at school and I was excited to find out which guy finally caught hers.

"Tell me more," I pleaded.

"I can't. Remember, I don't want to jinx it."

"Will I get to meet him?"

"Sure."

I remembered the homecoming dance and our promise to go with just the girls. Certainly she would want to bring the new boy she met.

"Are you going to take him to homecoming?" I asked her.

"Of course not! I'm excited for girls night. Maybe he will just meet up with us later at the after party."

"After party?"

"Yeah at Taylor's house. Jacob is coming right?"

I wasn't sure. He knew I was going with Annabel but we hadn't discussed it. I didn't know what his plans were.

"I don't know," I confessed.

She frowned.

"I'm sure he'll be there. The boy can't leave your side for too long."

I smiled back. I wondered what his plans were.


	11. Chapter 11

Today was unseasonably sunny. One of those rare days in beginning of October, were it should feel frosty, it has decided to be a wonderful 70 degrees warm. Everyone had a little spring in their step and not just because of the weather but because it was spirit week. This Saturday was homecoming. Friday night, tonight, was the big homecoming game. Even the male students who had been avoiding me had also been bizarrely friendly, waving and willingly to say hello. This may be due to the absent of "my brothers". Today it was just Jacob and I who attended school this morning.

We decided to sit with Annabel's friends at lunch today. Her table consisted of the two other girls from our 4th period class, Emma and Sara as well as Taylor, Joel and a quiet boy named Adrian. Everyone was talking about their plans for tonight and tomorrow.

"I'm so excited. It's going to be way better than last year, I can feel it," Annabel said.

"What makes you say that?" I asked her.

"Last year I went with Mike. Actually, anything this year should be an improvement," she said as she made a face.

"So what exactly are the homecoming plans?" Emma asked.

I looked over to Jacob who was talking with Taylor. I was wondering if he was listening to our conversation. I still didn't know his plans were but I desperately wanted him to be there. This was my first dance and he just had to be there to dance with me, even with the way things are now.

"I figured we could all get ready together. That's sounds like fun right? Take pictures then head on out. Nessie, can you drive? You have the nicest car out of all of us," Annabel asked.

"Yeah sure, no problem."

"Hey Nessie, since your driving maybe we should get ready at your house," Sara asked. I knew that this was just a ploy to see my so called brothers, even more so my dad. Why she still had hope is beyond me.

"Uhm, okay. I'll haveto check with my parents, but I'm sure it should be okay."

"The after party at Taylor's house should be so much fun. He has such a nice house, he even has a sweet game room in the basement," Emma said.

Taylor heard his name in the conversation and turned to us.

"You guys owe me one. My parents are making me clean the whole house as payment for the party," he said.

"Oh come on Taylor, you know that we are incredibly thankful," Emma said with a flirty smile. He smiled back. Instantly I knew he had not done it for us but for her. Maybe he was hoping tomorrow night would be the start of something.

"So us guys will meet you at the dance?" he asked.

I looked at Jacob again. He was going with them to the dance? A relief swept over me. Not that I thought he would of taken another girl as a date, I was still glad to hear it.

"You're going with them to the dance?" I asked him.

He nodded and smiled. I grinned back.

"So Annabel, I'm so excited to meet Christian," Sara said.

I watch her light up. I was excited as well to meet him. I felt like I already knew him, with how much she went on about him. I knew that his favorite pop was Dr. Pepper, that he loves to snowboard and if you get him to laugh really hard, tears come out. I couldn't wait to see that. She talked about him insistently. She told me about the first time he had kissed her. She called me the very next morning. He had walked her home after a date and gave her a kiss right on her porch just before saying goodnight. I would find myself longing and wishing that Jacob and I were that simple. But of course things remain too complicated. Either way, it was fun to live vicariously through her. She would tell me every single detail about every single date. To what he wore and every hopelessly romantic thing he said.

"I can't wait for you guys to finally meet him. He said he was really excited too. I'm going to call him right when we get to Taylor's house," she said.

"I'm not letting him if he turns out to be a freak," Taylor chimed in.

I laughed when Annabel flashed him a look and threw her grape at him.

I was too excited to sleep that night. It was like the night before my first day of high school all over again. We had gotten home from the homecoming game about a couple hours ago. We lost, of course, which resulted in Annabel asking my uncles once again about just trying out for football next year. I was glad that my whole family came out to the game. Though I knew it was terribly boring for them to watch. Even Esme and Carlislecame to watch. No more reclusive Cullen Family anymore, they had all came and we almost looked like a normal human family.

My dress hung outside my bathroom door. Alice had helped me plan what I would be wearing tomorrow. It was perfect. I put the hanger over my head so that the dress would fall in front of me. I imagined how I would look like tomorrow.

I began to daydream about what it was going to be like to dance with Jacob. For the fun of it, I put in one of my favorite slow songs and began to sway in the mirror. I watched the bottom of my dress swayed back and forth to the beat of the song. I giggled at how terribly dorky I was. Just then the thought of my window blinds being open, I looked out the window. There was Jacob leaning against his kitchen counter watching me through the window with a smile on his face. I flushed with embarrassment. I quickly hung the dress, turned off the lights and went to bed.

The next day passed quickly. An overcast was in the sky but it was still unseasonably warm. To Sara's disappointment my dad had not been at the house when they finally arrived. All of the men of the family took off for the day leaving the house to the girls. All of them were surprised at the size of my house. Annabel claimed that next year that I would be responsible for the after party or any party in general from now on. As Emma and Sara never left each other sides, while at my home, I watched Annabel be completely at ease with my family. She talked with Alice and my mom as if they were great friends already. She wasn't a bit self conscience around Rosalie, which most women are. I felt guilty when Emma kept looking at Rosalie and then looking at her self. There was no use in comparing. After we were all dressed, we decided to have fun with the camera. We laughed as we took funny pictures of ourselves out in the backyard. Esme brought out food for us to snack on before we went out to the dance.

"Nessie, your family is great," Annabel said as she put her arm around me while my mom took our picture.

I laughed, "I know."

"Here let me take one of you and Bella," She said holding her hand out for the camera to my mom.

"Yes, I would love a picture of you and me, Annabel," my mom said as she handed the camera over.

My mom came to my side and we put our arms around each other's waist and leaned our heads together. Annabel looked perplexed as she held the camera up.

"Is something wrong with the camera?" I asked her.

"No, I'm sorry. I just never noticed how much you guys look like each other."

My mom laughed, "That's what happens when you live with someone for so long, you start to look like each other."

Annabel laughed.

"Smile!"

Just then I heard a car coming down the road. The rest of my family was returning. Carlisle was the first to step outside on the deck.

"What a lovely surprise to come home to a house full of beautiful girls. You all look very nice," he said as Esme walked to his side and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"Hi, Gra- Dad. This is Annabel, Sara and Emma," I said as I pointed to each of them.

"Of course her dad would be just as gorgeous," I heard Sara whisper to Emma.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm sure you will all have a fine time at the dance."

The rest of my family walked out onto the deck, all still wearing jeans. Jacob was the last one through the door. He looked surprise to see me. I saw my dad flash him a glare and instantly Jacob was looking at the sky.

"You're not dressed yet?" Annabel asked.

My father laughed, "Were boys, it takes us 10 minutes to get ready."

I knew it took them less than that.

We took a few more pictures and hung out a little bit more before decided to leave. I glanced over to Jacob a few times to always find him staring back at me. I could feel his eyes on me. I wondered what he was thinking. I walked over to my father, but quickly he reminded us that we should probably get going.

"We will see you there, Nessie," he said.

The four of us pilled into my car and took off for the dance.

The gym was transformed into a typical scene out of teenage movie. The cheesy streamers and balloons fell everywhere throughout the gym. The Christmas lights were strung on the basketball boards. I loved everything about it. Everyone was dancing out on the dance floor. I watched the disco ball lights and the colored strobes hit everyone's faces. Emma and Sara immediately ran over to their other friends to tell them all about their day at my house I'm sure. Annabel took my hand right away and led me to the dance floor.

"Come on, let's dance!" she said pulling me.

The beat was heavy and I could even feel it in my chest. I was having so much fun dancing around the floor. The rest of the girls came to join us. We were laughing and taking pictures. I saw my family arrive. My father and mother were smiling at me as I spotted them across the gym. Even I envied how beautiful they looked together. My father had a sleek suit on and my mom looked gorgeous besides him in her dark blue cocktail dress. I waved at them to come and join me. I could hear him trying to convince my mom. Soon enough they were there with us, along with Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. I looked around the gym to find Jacob but I couldn't spot him. Soon I found Taylor. I knew he had come with him. I walked over to him to ask him where Jacob was.

"He was here a second ago, Nessie. I'm not sure where he went," he said.

I stomach sank. Maybe he had changed his mind about coming. Just then Annabel was by my side pulling my arm again to the dance floor.

"Come on Nessie, keep dancing with us," she said.

I turned to her and returned to the dance floor. I kept looking around to see if I could spot him but he was no where to be found. This went on all through the night. When we stopped dancing to get a couple of drinks, I took the time to surveillance the room while we walked around and still no Jacob. The night was growing later and later. The songs started to become slower. I found myself sitting at a table, watching couples slow dance on the floor. This must be when going stag sucks. I watched Annabel dance with Mike. She made faces at me every time he turned her to my direction. I still don't know how he got her to dance with him. It was silly how smug he looked. My father came to the table and held out his hand.

"It wouldn't be too lame to dance with your dad would it?" he asked.

I sighed and took his hand.

"It probably looks lame that the only person I slow danced with is my brother but oh well," I said.

He led me out on the dance floor. _I'm such a dork_, I thought.

"Well I probably should apologize for that. I'm sure having to go to school with your father hasn't been easy, especially a father who can hear thoughts. I assure you that every boy here is dying to ask you to dance, it's my fault that I scared them so."

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure dad," I said as I continued to look around the gym for Jacob.

"I'm being serious. That Spence boy has been debating it all night whether or not to ask you unfortunately he is scared to death to ask."

I looked over to Spence who was watching me closely from the other side of the room. He was leaning against the bleachers.

I gave him the "do we really have to talk about this" look and he laughed.

"You know, most fathers don't have to deal with boys this early. They usually have 9 or 10 years till that happens."

"Dad, do we really need to be talking about this?"

He sighed.

"I just want you to know that your mother and I love you very much."

"I love you guys too," I said fast, not wanting things to start getting uncomfortably corny.

"We want you to know that whatever decisions you make, we trust you."

_Are we seriously doing this right now?_ I thought. I was not in the mood for a father and daughter talk.

"I know dad," I said impatiently hoping that this conversation would end.

"And we want you to know that we know you'll make the right decisions, because you've grown into an intelligent, beautiful woman."

I smiled.

"Thanks Dad."

He didn't say anything more and we danced till the song ended.

"Go and ask Spence to dance. He won't have the courage tonight," my father said.

I raised my eyebrow at him. After all that trouble he gave him, for whatever thoughts Spence had been thinking. He shrugged.

"I'll get over it. Plus, it is dorky if you only dance with your brother tonight."

I walked across the room over to Spence. He looked surprised that I was approaching him. I could hear his heart speed up.

"Hi Spence," I said.

"Hey Nessie."

Uncomfortable silence.

"Uhm, would you like to dance with me?" I asked him.

Uncomfortable silence again.

"Spence?"

"Yes, definitely yes," he said coming out of a spell.

I held out my hand to him and lead him to the dance floor. His hand was slightly shaky and damp with sweat. I put my hands on his shoulders while he had his hands on my waist. I looked up and smiled at him, trying to make him more comfortable. He nervously smiled back.

"Are you having a fun time at the dance?" I asked him.

"Yes."

I looked around the dance floor, hoping again to spot Jacob. I spotted Alice and Jasper dancing. I smiled, while Alice smiled back. Unfortunately, Jasper flashed Spence a glare again. I could feel his hands uncomfortable twitch as if he was internally debating if he should stay or run away. I sighed. I stared off in the distance silently wishing it was Jake that I was dancing with. I could feel Spence's hands tighter around me bringing me closer. It was if he made up his mind that he didn't care anymore about my so called brothers. I started to worry as I didn't want to dance closer. I didn't want him to get the wrong impression. I looked up to protest but he was already starting to speak.

"Nessie, I.." he started but soon got cut off.

I felt a warm hand on my back.

"Nessie, please dance with me," Jacob whispered deeply in my ear as it sent chills down my neck.

I could feel my face light up. I looked back at Spence who already looked defeated. He lost before he even had a chance to fight. He silently walked away. I turned around to look at Jake. My heart skipped when I saw him. He looked perfect. I had never really seen him dressed up before. He pulled off the casual but formal look perfectly. Of course no tie.

I put my arms around his shoulders, almost on my tip toes as he was so tall to reach. I could feel his warm arms around my waist pull me close. I looked up at him to find him staring down back at me. We didn't say a word to each other. It felt like electricity flowing through us. My heart began to speed up as I realized how close I was to him. Our bodies pressed up against each other. I could even feel his heart beat through my body. Suddenly it felt like I was being tortured, knowing that I couldn't have him the way that I wanted. I was caught between wishing we could have something more and knowing he wasn't ready for me in that way yet. I had to pull away because what I was feeling was too intense to be this close and not get what I wanted. But I could bring myself to pull away.

"Jake," I whispered, "please…it's too close." I struggled to say.

He didn't say anything but only pulled me tighter. My breath caught. I would be ruined after this. Did he not care what he was doing to me? When he pulled away, reality would set in and I knew I would be horribly miserable that this wasn't something more. He bent down and I felt his lips graze across my forehead. His warm breaths made my cheeks flush. I wanted to look up at him and force him to kiss me but I didn't have the courage. I stared straight ahead. His soft lips moved only lightly touching down my cheek and stopping at the corner of my lips. I stopped breathing. My hand tightened against his shoulders. I could hear his heart beat faster. I realized that his body had become warmer as a bead of sweat fell from the back of my neck. _Please, kiss me_, I thought.

The song stopped and so did he. No! I'd let myself hope, to only be disappointed in the end. I was upset at myself to have been that silly. I was scared to look up at him. What would his reaction be?

I mustered up the courage and looked at him. Immediately I knew a changed had happened. Something was different, I just didn't know what. Maybe I knew but was too afraid I was wrong. He smiled back at me. He took my hand and held it. It felt incredibly intimate the way he caressed the back of my hand with his thumb.

"Jake! Nessie! Come on, we are leaving! After Party!" Annabel called from a distance.

I turned to look at her. She was waving us over.

As we walked over to her, I saw a glimpse of my family. There was a hint of sadness in my parent's smiles as we waved goodbye to each other.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey Guys! Sorry it took me SOOO LONG to update! This chapter is a bit longer, so hopefully you will forgive me. Thanks for all of the great reviews. It really motivated me to keep on writing. Hope you like this new chapter. Please review!! Thanks!**

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I was surprised to see how many people came to Taylor's house. It seemed like almost everyone who was at the dance was here. His home was located in a very nice neighborhood, not far from the high school. I walked inside still holding Jake's hand. I looked behind me and Annabel was on her cell phone talking to Christian. We walked around the house, saying hi to everyone. Annabel caught up with us in the game room, pulling someone along.

"Nessie!" she called after me as she waved me down.

"This is Christian," she said.

A blonde boy with short shaggy hair walked up from behind her. He pushed his hair out of his eyes. He had a young handsome face and stood at least a foot taller than her.

"You must be Nessie. Annabel told me so much about you," he said as I shook his hand. I looked up at him, noticing his piercing blue eyes.

"It's nice to finally meet you," I said.

"And you must be Jacob," Christian said as he turned to Jake.

"Yep. Nice to meet you."

"So do you go to school around here?" I asked.

"Yeah about 10 minutes away. I go to Northern High."

"I'm so happy! All of my favorite people are together!" Annabel said suddenly as she gave me hug.

The rest of the night continued on. The four of us hung out mostly with each other, playing pool or shooting darts. I watched Christian and Annabel together. They were very cute together, always sneaking kisses. They seemed perfect for one another.

Though I wanted to observe more Annabel and her new boyfriend, I couldn't help but get caught up over Jacob. I could feel his eyes always following me. I was on some sort of high knowing that it was me who was consuming him so. But I was growing impatient. There was unresolved question between us. I could feel the air of change and I wanted to discover what it was.

We were upstairs in the kitchen and I was standing across from him by the island table. We were snacking on popcorn. People were coming in and out. Christian was talking about the new movie he wanted to go see this weekend.

"Yeah, that movie did look good," Jacob said.

I glanced up to find him once again looking at me. I was trying to think of ways to get him alone, but it seemed near impossible at this party. I didn't want to talk to him about this in some random room in this house, what if someone walked in.

"We should all go then, like a double date," Annabel said giving me a wink. I hoped Jacob did catch that.

"Sounds good to me. Are you in Jacob?" Christian said.

I wondered what he was going to say.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," he said giving me a smirk.

Immediately my eyes lit up. Would he be okay with us going out on a date? Would it be a real date or would it just be us going as friends? I desperately wanted to get him alone.

Just then Taylor walked into the kitchen.

"Hey who is up for fog tag?" he asked us.

"Fog tag?" I questioned.

"Yeah, it's really fun. The soccer field at the school gets this heaving fog on it sometimes. You can barely see what is in front of you. We play tag in it. It's silly. We tend to forget who was it within 5 minutes of the game and just try to find one another," Annabel explained.

"Hey there really isn't that much to do around here in this town. You kind of have to make your own fun. Dave just drove by and said it looked really heaving. So who is in?" Taylor said.

"Christian and I are in. What about you, Nessie?" Annabel asked.

I was thinking it through, weighing my options. If everyone was going to be gone, then this would give me some privacy to talk to Jacob. But before I could make up my mind Jake answered for me.

"We're in," he said.

I eyed him closely. I hoped he wasn't trying to avoid the inevitable conversation. I began wondering if he was trying to avoid it all together. A little fury started growing inside of me. He couldn't keep playing these games with me. He can't hold me the way he did on the dance floor and expect me to pretend nothing happened or nothing was going to happen.

I glared back at him. "Fine," I said.

He pretended he didn't see my glare but I know he did as he quickly glanced away to look at something else.

The walk to the high school was short. There were about 30 of us who went, the rest of the party stayed at the house. Some of them already getting sleepy, I noticed before we left, crashing on the couch or the floor. When we arrived, there was a heavy fog set on the field.

"Awesome!" Taylor said.

Emma ran up Taylor, tapped him on the shoulder and ran into the fog.

"Your it!" she called after him behind her shoulder.

He laughed as he chased her. Everyone else took off running into the fog. I could hear the laughter and giggling as they ran into each other. Though to the human eye, it was difficult to see through the fog but I could see everyone perfectly. I sighed as I thought how not fun this was going to be. It was always difficult to move at a human pace, especially when it was a game.

Jacob grabbed my hand and pulled me into the fog. We walked a few yards to the opposite side of the field; I could hear everyone at the far other end.

"What are you doing?" I asked him as he kept pulling me along.

He didn't say anything but stopped and turned to look at me.

"They can't see us," he softly whispered.

I didn't say anything only because I didn't know what to say. I looked up at him as I watched him move closer to me. He still hand my hand in his as he hovered over me. As he looked down on me, his eyes became intense as if he couldn't find the right words to say.

"Nessie…" he started to say but stopped.

"Yes?"

"I… I was wrong," he continued still whispering.

"Wrong?" I whispered back trying to pull what he wanted to say out of his mouth.

"Yes. Very wrong. I don't know how to explain it. It was probably a lost cause from the beginning and I don't know why I even tried. I can't be around you without desperately wanting to touch you. I can't just watch you and not hold you. I can't be beside you and not kiss you. It's like all of my self-control is dwindling away and now here we are and I just don't have anymore."

I looked at him and as much as I tried, no words came out of my mouth. It was as if I couldn't find them . As he bent down towards me and I could feel this breath on my face, the words felt like they were forever lost.

There was a small pause of silence. I could still hear the faint laughter of our friends down the field. I looked up at him bewildered, not know what to do or what even to say.

His arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer to him.

"Nessie, I have to have you," he whispered quietly so close to my lips. He lightly brushed his lips against mine, pulled slightly away and paused. My heart was racing and my lips felt like they were burning from his light touch. I took a sharp breath.

He looked back at me waiting for me to react. Probably wondering if I was going to push him away or forgive him. Though he had to of known what my response would be.

"You've always had me," I whispered back.

As I said this, he picked me up with his one arm so that I was close to his face and he pressed his lips deeply against mine. Our lips fit perfectly against one another, moving like we were trying to savor every taste. My arms wrapped around his neck as my hands gently caressed his neck. He pushed my hair around my one shoulder. His lips began to trail off down my face and without notice on my neck. I gasped as it both tickled and felt so sensual.

A sharp light and a loud thunder ripped through the sky. The squeals of our friends made me brought me back to reality and reminded me that we were not alone out here. Just then a heavy down pour came down fast, without warning, washing out the fog. Jacob set me back down, but I couldn't stop gazing up at him. His white shirt was soaked and it pressed up against his chest nicely. I could here Annabel call for me as she ran back but I couldn't find myself to leave. My hair was wet and sticking to the side of my face. I pushed the strands behind me.

"You're soaked," he said lightly laughing.

I didn't care; I just badly wanted to kiss him again. Everyone had left and we were the only ones behind. I grinned back at him as I jumped up on him. I wrapped my legs tightly around his waste and pressed myself closely against him. I pressed my lips against him again. Though the rain was cold but I was warm in his arms. We stayed that way, in each others arms, after the rain stopped and until the sun rose.

I woke up the next morning in my bed, not exactly sure how I got there. I must have fallen asleep in my car on the way back to my house. I woke up giddy and full of energy, practically jumped out of bed. Last night replayed in my head like I had memorized every kiss and every way he held me. All I wanted to do today was spend time with Jacob. I snuck a peak out the window. He was up and moving, from what I could see, in the kitchen. I was barely out of the door when my parents cut me off.

"Nessie, do you have a moment?" my dad asked. His face was stressed, like I was about to get in trouble. My mom's face did not look that much better.

"Sure," I said trying not to groan as I turned back into my room.

I went to flop down on my bed, drumming my fingers impatiently on my knee. I wanted to practically run to the pool house.

"So your mother and I know what happened last night, for obvious reasons," my father started tapping his temple. "We knew this was bound to happen, sooner than what we expected, but we are still your parents and we need to talk about some ground rules if you're going to start having… uhm… a boyfriend."

Using the word boyfriend to describe my relationship with Jacob sounded silly. It seemed my father thought so too.

"Ground rules?" I asked. I've never had rules before. I couldn't possibly imagine what they had in mind.

"You're not planning on moving into the pool house, are you?" my mom rushed out.

I gave her an odd look. That never even crossed my mind.

"What?" I said.

"Please tell me you do not want to move in with Jake."

"No! Mom, seriously no! I can't believe you would think that."

"Oh, thank god."

Really? What was she thinking?

"So what are these ground rules?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well no spending the night at the pool house, curfew-" my father started.

"Curfew?!" I interrupted.

"Yes, curfew is at 10 during school nights and midnight on the weekends. Remember you are still in high school and there should be some balance. You still require sleep and we wouldn't want your studies to suffer."

I rolled my eyes. They knew very well that I could probably just show up for the exams and still pass all of my classes with straight As. I had to admit that it was fun watching them play the parents role.

My father paused for a second and suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Also, uhm no sex till your married. And yes, you still have to wait 12 years to do that," he said.

I pulled my sheets over my head and groaned. This was terribly embarrassing. My mother pulled back the sheets.

"You have no idea how absolutely horrifying to me this is right now," I said.

"It is just as horrifying to us as it is to you," she said.

"Can we _please_ not talk about this?" I asked frantically wanting the conversation to end.

"Nessie, we are happy that you have found love, but to be honest, I'm not sure if we are ready for you to grow up," my mom said to me, her eyes full of sadness. "Our time with you has gone too quickly, we only got to be parents for such a short time."

"You guys are still my parents and will always be my parents. Nothing is going to change that."

"We know. We would just like to play the part just a little longer," my father said putting his arm around me.

I could see in their eyes that it was hard for them to accept me as an adult but they have. Most parents had a full 18 years to give the parental guidance. I may have been lucky to have gone through my awkward phase in over a few months but I could see how much they wished that time had gone slower for me. I loved them so much. They had always looked at me as a miracle of their love. I promised myself then that I would not jip them out of those years.

"Of course," I said as I hugged my father back and gave my mother a kiss on the cheek.

As soon as the conversation was over I flew out of the house and towards the pool house. Before I could tap on the glass Jacob opened the door and picked me up in his arms. He took my face in his hand as he pulled my lips to his.

"I could kiss you forever," I said as he took a breath.

"That sounds very nice."

He put me down and I walked to his kitchen. I jumped up and sat on the counter.

"So what is the plan today?" he asked standing in front of me.

"I'm up for anything involving you."

He laughed. I noticed how he could always look so good in just a plain t-shirt and jeans. I took his baseball cap that he was wearing backwards and put it on my head. The hat obviously too big slid forward onto my face. I lifted my head up so I could under the bill.

"You have a big head," I said giving him the hat back.

He chuckled.

"Well, with a girl like you on my arm I can afford to be a bit cocky."

I laughed, "Totally cheesy, Jacob."

"It's good to be a bit cheesy every now and again."

He kissed me on the cheek.

"I'm curious about something," I said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. Not that it matters, I just was wondering what changed your mind last?"

He looked at me and made a face.

"That Spence kid," he said.

"Spence?"

"Yep."

"What did he have to do with changing your mind?"

Jacob leaned back on the opposite counter.

"He was going to tell you that he was falling in love with you that night."

"Are you kidding me? I don't even talk to him and he is too scared to even talk to me."

He shrugged.

"He had a speech planned and everything. He thought about saying it to you a few times but had chickened out. Actually, now that I think about it, you think I'm cheesy, you should of heard what he was thinking of saying."

I couldn't help be relieved that I dogged that bullet. It would have been terribly awkward to have to listen to it and I probably wouldn't have had the slightest idea on how to respond.

"How did you know?"

"Edward, obviously. Spence has been rehearsing it in his head the past two weeks."

"My dad told you?"

Jacob nodded. This surprised me. If my dad knew what Spence was going to say then why did he let me dance with him? This was completely not a characteristic of my overprotective dad.

"I don't know what it was, but when I saw you dancing with him, I was furious. The thought of you dancing with someone who thought they could have a remote chance. I couldn't bear knowing he was going to try to tell you he loved you right then. To know that he thought he could love you more than anyone else, more than me, was infuriating."

I looked at him and laughed.

"Really? So jealousy was all it took to change your mind?"

He thought for a second.

"Yes, I guess so. Seems kind of stupid huh?"

"Yep. If I'd known, I would have tried to make you jealous sooner."

Jacob walked closer to me, hugging me in his arms. I could feel his warm palm on my back.

"It was a terrible attempt to try and wait," he said.

"There really wasn't a good reason to wait. If anything, I'm more of an adult than you are."

"You think so?"

"Everyone thinks so."

He chuckled.

"There are not nearly perfect enough words to describe how much I love you," he said quietly.

I leaned forward and lightly pressed my lips against his. I looked at him in his warm eyes.

"I don't mind hearing you try," I said.

It was an amazing week. The best I have ever had. School flew by when we were together. I could spend hours on end, just sitting in Jacob's arms and we did. I was glowing. I couldn't help but know that it was radiating off of me. Annabel knew that something was different the minute she saw me that Monday morning. _Finally_, was all she said.

I looked up at Jacob and he smiled down on me. We were driving back from the movies with Annabel and Christian. Both of us were sitting in the back seat of Christian's car.

"Wasn't that such a good movie?" Annabel said as she turned to look back to us.

"Yeah it was. I love a good comedy," I said.

"What did you think?" She said as she turned to Christian.

"It was good," he shrugged.

I looked at him in his rear view mirror. There was something about Christian that had this mystifying air around him. He never said a lot and to be honest I didn't know that much about him. All I knew was what Annabel told him. He seemed to care a great deal for Annabel. He always had this protective stance around her, always shifting himself as if he was a shield and Annabel needed protecting from something. I wondered if he knew her secret. I felt a sting of jealousy. I wondered when she would be comfortable telling me about her secret. There was a million and one questions I wanted to ask her.

I looked out the window watching the trees pass and looking at the stars in the skies. It was a beautiful night and everything was perfect.

I felt Jacob squeeze my hand and I turned to gaze back at him. As I looked into his eyes, behind his head a blinding light was coming at us fast. My eyes widened before I could say anything. Jacob quickly turned his head to see what I was looking at. Without thought, or reason, only acting on instinct he grabbed me and held me close to his chest.

"JACOB, NO!" I screamed. I was the last one who needed saving.

Before I could pull away, I watched the lights attached to the semi truck smash into Christian's side of the car. The car hit the curb and just the right angle sending it flipping through the air. I stared in horror as I tried to grab for Annabel, who had forgotten to wear a seat belt fly out of the car window, her body smashing up against it. While the car was spinning, Jacob kicked out the side of the car and we rolled onto pavement. I could smell blood leaving the deep cuts on Jacob's arms made by rolling against the ground. My throat burning and I swallowed hard. His blood never smelled as appealing as human blood so it was always easy to resist.

I looked for Annabel and found her lying on the floor so still. _Oh god, please no_, I thought. I didn't know how I was going to save her but I started to run towards her. It wasn't until I felt Jacob's strong arm around my chest that running towards her with a desire to save her had turned into a whole different desire.

"No Nessie!" Jacob shouted at me.

I pushed up against him, feeling his arm break but still managing to hold me back. I was only a few yards away and she smelled so good.

"Nessie, please. You don't want to do that," he pleaded. I slowly stopped pushing and came back to reality, horrified at would I could have just done.

Suddenly I saw Annabel groan. I saw her slowly push her self off the ground so she was sitting up. She turned to look at us and paused. Soon a horrified expression on her face painted her face. I was sure I looked deathly frightening to her right now. But she got completely up and started walking towards us. I realized that she wasn't looking at me, but she was looking at Jacob's arms. His cuts were healing quickly in front of her.

"Annabel, please don't come any closer," Jacob warned.

I watched her as she paused but still staring back at him. I began to notice that all of the deep gashes in Annabel's body were healing just as quickly too. I watched them seal themselves up only leaving the blood that was left behind. She looked up at Jacob, with bright bewildered eyes. The tears began streaming down her cheeks. She looked down at his arms and back up at his eyes.

"Jacob… are you… like me?" she asked with such desperation, like she was hoping and praying he would say yes.

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	13. Chapter 13

"No… at least I don't think so," he said quietly. It hurt him to say no, it hurt me to have him say it too. The look of desperation in her eyes and I knew instantly that she knew no one else that was like her.

She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears with her back hand. Suddenly she was alert.

"Oh my god, Christian!" she said as she ran back to the mangled car. Jacob gave me a look and I nodded. It was best that I kept my distance. I watched him run past Annabel to the car. He yanked the whole door frame off the car and pulled Christian out. Annabel gave him a startled look but quickly went to back to Christian. I walked closer, just enough so that the breeze wouldn't pull the scent of his blood towards me. I barely could hear his heart. It was quietly beating and growing slower. He was going to die.

Jacob set him down on the ground, as Annabel knelt beside him, hugging his body, holding him close to hers. Christian's body was limp and lifeless. I didn't know how much time he would have left. I called Carlisle.

"Hello Nessie," he said as he picked up on the first ring.

"We were in an accident. Please come quick. We are off of I-94. We were on our way home," I said so quickly, no one human would have caught it all.

"I'll be right there."

The second I hung up, I walked slowly closer to them. Jacob was on his knees facing them. I looked at Annabel and her eyes were sealed shut, but the tears somehow managed to escape.

"Please… please… please don't leave me," she whispered into Christian's ear.

"Annabel, can you save him?" Jacob said softly to her.

She didn't say anything. She continued to quietly plead to Christian, her eyes still squeezed tight.

Few minutes passed and no changes had happened. Christian's heart was still barely beating. My grandfather and my father showed up in two cars. Carlisle went straight towards Annabel and Jacob, carrying his black bag. My father stayed behind me putting one hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he said.

"Of course."

"What happened?"

I took my hand and placed it on his hand that was resting on my shoulder. I replayed the images of the events that had just taken place in his head. He looked at me and kissed me on the cheek. I kept my gaze on Annabel.

"Annabel, if you want me to look at him, you're going to have to let him go," Carlisle said softly.

She shook her head fiercely and squeezed her eyes tighter.

"Annabel?" Jacob said quietly.

All was quiet. The only sounds that could be heard was the cars in the far off distance and the wind blowing the trees.

"Do you hear that?" my father asked.

I nodded. It was Christian's heart. It was steadily beating faster and stronger. I saw his chest take a big breath but his eyes were still closed.

"Incredible," my father whispered as he took a step forward.

Annabel's eyes opened and she looked up at Carlisle with worried eyes.

"Does he know?" he asked her.

She shook her head.

"Would you like to keep it that way?" he asked again.

She nodded.

Carlisle grabbed a syringe out of his black bag. I looked at my father.

"Amazing," he said.

"This will put him to sleep till we can get him to the hospital. Should we call your parents?" Carlisle said to Annabel.

"My parents are dead," she whispered.

I watched through the doorway as Annabel sat next to Christian's side sleeping in the hospital bed. Though he was perfectly healed, Carlisle thought it would be best if he put Christian's leg and arm in a cast. It would have been hard to explain how he walked out of that accident with no marks.

I felt Jacob's warm arm around my shoulders as he leaned me in closer so that he could kiss my head. I turned my head and buried it into his chest. I took a deep breath, letting his scent comfort me. I felt overwhelming confused about today's events and how they were going to play out. He rubbed my back to sooth me.

"Where do we go from here? What happens now?" I asked.

I heard my father's footsteps approach and Jacob took his arm off my shoulder but held my hand.

"I don't know if she is going to tell us her secret. She hasn't thought of it really. She is mostly consumed with concern for Christian but she is going to want to know our secret. She knows Jacob's secret for obvious reasons and she knows there is something going on with us."

I sighed.

"So what should we do when she asks?"

I knew what the risks were on telling a human the truth about us. But did it count when this was an exceptionally different human…may not even be human?

"Tell her the truth, but let her know the risks involved with her knowing. She is harboring her secret just as much as we are with ours. I just don't know how she well she will react when she knows our secret."

I looked back at Annabel as she still sat next to Christian unmoved.

"I'm going to go back home. I'll see you guys later," my father said as he kissed me goodbye. I watched him walk down the hallway and leave out the double doors. Jacob followed me as I walked over to the waiting room and sat in the chairs. I couldn't leave Annabel here by herself. For all I knew, she could be completely alone. She had obviously lied about having parents.

I watched the TV and flipped through magazines to pass the time. I looked at the clock to see only 15 minutes had passed. Suddenly I could hear running in the halls. I stepped out to see what it was.

It was Christian's parents.

"Christian? Oh my god, Christian!" his frantic mom called as she ran to his room, his father, I assumed, following close behind.

I saw Annabel bail out of there as quickly as she could. She came to me and stood by my side. I didn't know how she was going to react next to me. I didn't know how to react next to her. She instantly put her arm around my waist and her head on my shoulder.

"Thank you, Nessie," she said.

I felt relief and slightly confused on what she was thanking me for. Obviously whatever she thought about us did not make her feel uncomfortable. I put my arm around her trying to be of comfort.

"For what?" I asked.

"For just being here."

I smiled at her. We watched Christian's frantic parents talk to Carlisle and were relieved with whatever story he had come up with.

"It's a good thing that you saved him, Annabel. His parents love him very much, I can't imagine how they would have reacted otherwise," I said.

"Yeah, he is there only child left."

"Left?"

"Yep. He had an older sister, well half sister, from his mother's previous marriage."

"What happened?"

"I don't know that much. I knew he was close to her, even after she ran away, she would still send him letters, tell him about her adventures. He never told his parents about the letters. He stopped receiving them about 2 years ago. Last he knew of his sister, she was in Italy."

"He never told his parents?"

She shrugged, "After years of searching, they assumed she had died. Maybe she wanted to disappear. Maybe Christian was just trying to honor her wishes"

"What about her father?"

"Dead beat dad. Skipped out early and never kept in contact with her. I think maybe it really affected her somehow; maybe that's why she ran away."

I looked back at them, watching Christian's mom take his sleeping body in her arms and tried to give him a hug. I kept thinking about how awful it would be for a parent to lose another child. Children should never die before their parents.

I looked back at Annabel as I watched her yawn.

"Would you like me to take you home?" I asked her.

"Sure. It seems we have a lot to talk about, it's probably best we don't do it here."

I was suddenly reminded of the inevitable conversation that was coming up. I smiled and nodded at her. I went over to walk to Jacob. He had fallen asleep in the chair. I gave him a nudge.

"Wake up sleepyhead," I said.

He nodded and got up to stretch. He walked over to Carlisle, I'm sure to ask for some keys.

I went to wait next to Annabel.

"So… no parents?" I asked casually.

"Not for a while, memories of them are vague," she said as she shrugged casually.

"Really?"

"Yep, I was mostly raised by my brother. But he passed away a long time ago. Probably why Christian and I make sense. We both lost a sibling we were close to," she said almost like she was talking to herself.

"I'm sorry."

She nodded. I didn't want to ask her how he had passed away.

"Have been alone for awhile?" I asked concerned. I couldn't help ask questions now even though it felt like I should wait.

"It seems like I have always been alone," she said nonchalantly.

"How old are you?"

She looked at me with her weary eyes.

"A few centuries old."

I nodded and she gave me a curious look. She tilted her head to one side, with a questioning look on her face.

"How old are you?" she asked me.

I bit my lip, debating if I should lie.

"Six."

She nodded as she tried to act casual about it. Yes, there would be lots to talk about tonight.

Jacob dropped us off in front of Annabel's home. It was a small bungalow in the woods with no neighbors around. She walked out of the car and towards her home. I looked at Jacob.

"I think its best if I just go in, okay?" I said to him.

"I don't know Nessie. We don't know what she is or what she can do."

"If she wanted to harm me, she would have done it already. Please don't be over protective. I will call you when I need you to pick me up."

He sighed and looked up at Annabel as she was unlocking her door.

"Okay. Give me a call as soon as you can."

He took my head in his hands and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. I smiled back and stepped out of the car. I was at her side just as she was opening the door. She was startled for a minute and then smiled as she led me into her house. I looked back quickly and waved goodbye to Jacob.

Her house was lovely and warm. A beautiful fire place in the living room was dressed in old photographs in frames. Her whole house smelled of vanilla. She turned on a few small lamps and lit some candles.

"I'll be right back," she said as she walked up stairs.

I took the time to admire the pictures that were on the fireplace mantle. There was a small old painting that stood in the middle. It was a picture of a handsome man as he looked down on beautiful woman with straight black hair who looked right back up at him. It was hard to take your eyes away as the adoration in their eyes as it was so beautifully captured. I looked to find many pictures of different people, in different times and what seemed in different parts of the world. They were done framed all over the house. Each picture showed Annabel, never changed and consistently wearing that bright warm smile. It seemed like that every one of them were her closest friends in the world.

Annabel walked back downstairs, wearing some old sweats and holding another pair in her hand.

"I'd figure it would be a long night," she said.

I nodded and changed quickly in the bathroom. When I got out she was sitting in her couch with a blanket covering her legs. I went to sit on the opposite side.

"That painting in the center of your mantle is lovely," I said.

"Yes, it is my favorite one. It is the only picture that I have of my parents. I was too young to have any real memories. A painter had showed up one night at their house for shelter and it was a gift he had given to them to say thanks."

I nodded. There was a slight uncomfortable silence.

"Tell me Annabel. Tell me your story," I said.

"I have never told anyone before."

"But you can trust me. We both have secrets we need to keep. I trust that they will be easily kept."

"So you will tell me yours?"

"Of course. We are good friends, right?"

She smiled.

"Yes, best friends," she said.

"Best friends," I repeated.

"The story is a bit hazy now, since it has been so long, please forgive me if I do not know specifics. My father was an explorer. He was young and adventurous. He was part of a crew that would seek out new cultures and new lands that have yet to be discovered. I guess they had stumbled upon a land in Asia. That is were he met my mother. My brother told me that our father had described our mother as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was young and had fallen asleep in the shade of the trees. I guess she had woken up to his face inches away from hers. Pretty creepy, right? But my father said it was love at first sight and he just had to kiss her. They fell in love instantly.

But of course, they couldn't be together. They were from two different worlds. On the night before my father was to return home, they ran away together. They were poor but they had each other. A year later they had my brother and then 6 years later they had me.

I was about 10 years old. My brother and I were playing outside. This man had appeared what seemed like out of thin air. He was very pale, with black eyes. He had stopped and stared at me. I remember just being terrified, so terrified I couldn't move my feet. My brother had to pick me up and put me on his back. I don't know how he did it, but he ran with me on his back all the way home. When we reached the house, I saw the same man leaving the front door. He didn't look back at us as he disappeared in the forest. We ran into the house, frightened for our parents. Inside we were relived to find them okay but their eyes were frightened… terrified."

She paused and I watched her stare off into space.

"That was the last time I saw them," she continued. "They told my brother to take me away, far away, to never stop running away. The quickly packed my things. My father was whispering to my brother and I watched him hand over anything we owned of value to him. I remember my brother grabbing me, pushing me out the door. I was screaming for my parents, I didn't want to leave. I couldn't understand why they were sending me away or why they didn't come with us. My mother was so distraught; reaching for me as I was reaching for her but my father was holding her back. My father was yelling at my brother to quickly take me away. As he picked me up to put me on the horse, my mother ran to me. She gave me that painting."

Annabel pointed to the painting on the mantle. I looked at her watching the tears stream down her face. It was as if she hadn't visited this memory in quiet some time. She took a deep breath.

"She told me that she loved me and with that my brother and I took off. We ran for what seemed like months or even years, never really knowing what we were running away from. We never stayed in one place. That's how we spent a portion of our lives."

"What happened to your brother?"

"He passed away eventually, of old age."

"How come you don't age?"

"I don't know," she said as she shook her head, "I don't know anything."

I got up from the couch to sit next to her. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know why I can't age or why I can heal. I don't know what I am. Even after all these years… decades, I still don't know my parents sent me away. I don't even know what became of them."

I put my arms around her.

"We'll figure it out, I promise. I will help you…my family will help you."

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**Hope you guys like this chapter. I know some of you are wanting more Jacob/Nessie and the rest of the family so i promise you there is more to come! But this part had to be said to get through the rest of the story. Anyways... thank you so much for the reviews. I am sooooo extremely thankful! Please Review!!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! Sorry it took me so long to post another chapter. It was a crazy week last week (planning a tailgating party), and I kind of got caught up in reading everyone else's stories on here when I probably should have been writing. Sorry!! I couldn't help it. There are some really good ones out there! **

**I got an idea from some of them and wanted to try it out. Because I love, LOVE getting reviews, if you send me a review, I will send you a teaser of the next chapter! Your reviews keep me writing. :-) Thanks again. Hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

"So let me get this straight. Your brother, Edward, is actually your father and your mother, who I thought was just his girlfriend, is really your mother?" Annabel said.

I nodded.

"And your whole family is a vampire clan?"

I nodded again.

"But your half human and half vampire?"

"Yes."

"Now how does that happen?"

"Well my mother was human when she had me."

"He changed her after you were born?"

"Yes, he had to. It was the only way save her."

"Save her?"

"Her body couldn't handle me…couldn't survive the delivery."

It was silent for a moment. I knew that it wasn't my fault, but you can never shake off that feeling that you almost killed your mother. My mother was my biggest hero. She protected me and kept me safe even though they had no idea what I was or what I was to become. I only wish I could be that brave someday.

I had moved to the other side of the couch before I told her the truth about me. I wasn't really sure how she was going to take the whole vampire thing. I stared at her, waiting for some reaction. She seemed oddly calm.

"Are you okay with all this?" I asked her.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be? Are you planning on sucking my blood?"

"No, oh god no!"

She laughed.

"I'm okay with everything, trust me. It explains the dead animals in the forest I kept stumbling upon with the bite marks."

I grimaced.

" Nessie, I've been alive for a long time, I'm bound to see weird things every now and then."

"Really? And you never questioned anything before?"

"No. I refuse to come out of my cloud of denial. It's safer that way."

I smiled.

"I kind of pulled you out of your cloud, Annabel."

She thought for a moment and shrugged.

"I guess you have."

She took the throw blanket off of the couch and wrapped herself it in.

"So how does Jacob fit into this whole picture?"

"Uhm…well," I started, not sure how exactly to explain, " he is kind of a werewolf." Easiest explanation I could think of.

"Aren't werewolves and vampires supposed to be mortal enemies?"

"I guess so, but Jake is different. He lives with my family because of me."

"Because of you?"

"I guess you could say he is my soul mate. Maybe something more than soul mate?"

"More than a soul mate?"

I shrugged.

"But I thought you guys just started dating?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess that's where the more than soul mates aspect plays in."

"You know, I'm not even going to try and figure it out."

I laughed.

"So do you heal like I do?" she asked.

"Not really. Nothing can really ever break through my skin. I never really tested the boundaries of it I guess. Have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Tested your immortality."

"You mean, tried to kill myself?"

I nodded.

"Twice. I jumped off a building once and the other time I drank poison. I'm not a masochist or anything. I can still feel pain when I hurt myself. The poison was such a bad idea! I thought I was going to have diarrhea for week!"

Annabel made a face and I started to laugh hysterically. I could only imagine.

"Can you do anything special? Aren't vampires supposed to be really strong?" she asked.

"I'm pretty strong and pretty fast. You know, super hearing and eye sight."

"I wish I could have some extra abilities. All I know is that I'm an ordinary human, who can't age and who can heal. It would be so convenient to run faster or extra strength. You know how long it took me to rearrange the furniture in this house?"

"Uhm, I think you're far from ordinary."

"Can you do anything else?"

I thought for a moment, not knowing if I should tell her or show her or if I should say anything at all.

"Would you like me to show you?" I asked.

She nodded. I moved closer to her and took her hand in my hand.

"It's a little weird at first, but I promise I won't hurt you."

I look at her and I could tell she was slightly fearful. Her heart started to speed up a little.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

I projected images to her. I stuck with warm ones of her and Christian. The parts of their relationships I observed, like the night after homecoming, the way he stared at her and kissed her when he thought no one was looking. I pulled my hand away.

She looked at me with a big smile.

"That was so cool!" she said. "Can you do anything else?"

"Well, I can use other people's power if I'm touching them. It's kind of like it becomes dormant in their body while I use it."

"Could you use mine?"

"Hmm… I don't know."

"Who else has powers? Can all vampires do what you can do?"

"No my power is unique to me. My mother's power is like a shield against other powers… well powers of the mind. They don't work on her and she can project that same shield on anyone else. My father can read minds, and let me tell you, it is a huge pain in the ass."

Her lips formed into a 'O' as she realized the implications of that power.

"So your dad could hear everyone's thoughts at school?"

"Yep."

"Even you?"

"Yep."

"Even Jacob?"

"Yep."

"Ugh…that must be awkward."

I nodded. "You have no idea."

"Who else?"

"Well Alice, she sees the future. But it changes all the time, because people change their mind all the time. The future is never set in stone. She can't see me or Jacob though."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Our only guess is that we are a completely different species from her, Jacob being a werewolf and me being half vampire. She can only see humans, because she was one and vampires, because she is one. Jasper can change people's emotions. He can make a rowdy crowd become calm or the opposite."

"How do you get powers?"

"We don't know. A theory is that their powers are a result of a strong trait of their human lives. My father was sensitive to thoughts when he was human, my mom's mind could not be touched when she was human, Alice had premonitions and Jasper was very charismatic."

"How about you though?"

"I don't know. I guess I was just born with it. But I'm still learning about it. It wasn't until a few years ago I figured how I could use others people's powers."

"How did you figure it out?"

I chuckled remember the past.

"Well I was sitting next to my mom and my dad was lecturing me about something trivial. I was holding my mother's hand thinking of well, not nice things about my dad but hoping that he wouldn't hear me. Wishing I could be like my mom, so he couldn't hear me. He stopped lecturing to stare at me. I thought he totally heard what I thought. But he said he couldn't hear my mind anymore. The second that I let go of my mom's hand, he heard my mind…and unfortunately what I had been thinking prior."

She laughed.

We continued talking through the night, sharing more and more of our lives. The more we talked I noticed that she really didn't act like she had lived for centuries. There was still this innocence and youthfulness about her. When I asked her about it she said that it was easier to act like a teenager when people always treated you like a teenager. I nodded knowing that this is what I would have to look forward to.

She talked a little bit about the pictures around her house and the people she met throughout the years or really centuries. I admired the way she still tried to form relationships with people. My family was always so secluded from everyone else, saying that the reason was not to call on unnecessary attention to them, it was too risky they may lose control or they had to be extra careful to make sure that their secret never came out. But maybe it was also that they didn't want to become attached to anyone. It would always be so heartbreaking to say goodbye. Though humans naturally shied away from my family, I knew they could be dazzling when they wanted to be and if they wanted to be.

I asked Annabel how she did it. How did she make so many friends even though she knew that she would outlive all of them? She shrugged.

"I guess I just don't want to be alone in life. The world is very lonely and there are so many wonderful people to get to know. I learned a lot from each person. I know I'll have to say goodbye and it's easy for me to pretend to just loose touch after college. It still hurts every time but I have great memories to hold on to."

"What about Christian? Are you going to have to say goodbye?"

"I've done it before."

There was something about the way she said that statement. I could tell that Christian was different and I could tell she wanted to keep him forever.

"Why do you keep it a secret?" I asked.

"There are lots of reasons. The main reason is that I don't want to lose my freedom. Could you imagine if people found out? They would lock me up, poke at me, trying to figure out what I was. Someone might want to use me for something evil. Or what if people think of me like the second coming? It's too much responsibility for one person to try and save the world. I'm afraid of the hope people would place on me and the disappointment when I can't live up to their expectations. I have lived a long time to know that it is human nature to bring people up, put them on this high pedicle with unrealistic expectations, only to pull them down when you can't meet them. It is just safer to live with this secret."

I nodded.

It was getting late and she was falling asleep on the couch. We said our goodbyes and instead of calling Jacob for a ride home, I decided to run back.

The mist was cool on my face as I ran through the forest. I felt like I was on some sort of high after really getting to know Annabel and her really getting to know me… the true me. By the time I got to the house my clothes were damp and my hair was wet. I could here that there was no movement in the house, only one slow steady heart beating coming from the pool house. My family must have gone out hunting. I desperately wanted to see Jacob before I went to bed. I walked quietly to the pool house, slowly opened the door trying not to make a sound. The second I was inside, I inhaled deeply. The house smelled like him and suddenly I could feel the excitement in my stomach.

I walked into his bedroom to find him sleeping in his bed. He was sleeping on his back with his arm over his head. I smirked as I noticed that he was holding his cell phone in his hand, knowing that he had fallen asleep waiting for my call to come and pick me up. I sighed as I watched his bare chest rise and fall, just barely covered by a bed sheet. I bit my lip. I probably shouldn't be here. I stood on the foot of his bed, just watching him sleep. My hair was still dripping and I could hear the drops hit the floor.

When I was younger, I used to climb out of bed in the middle of the night and make my way to Jacob's room. I smiled thinking about how I would bring my favorite blanket and squeeze myself next to him in his bed. I remember feeling that I just had to be near him. I also remembered that it was until a couple of years ago, I would wake up to find myself in his bed but him on the floor. It had seemed so innocent back then, but now as I stood over him, this felt something different. It was like temptation staring me down… testing me. I should probably go back to my room but I couldn't make myself move my feet in that direction. I wanted a kiss.

Just one kiss and I'll go to my own room, I decided. He won't even know I was here, I convinced myself.

I climbed over him, so carefully not to wake him. Thank goodness Jake was a heavy sleepier. I hovered over him and looked down at his face. I could feel the heat off of his face. The rain drops that were trapped in my hair escaped, hitting his cheek. I loved him so much and I smiled knowing that we belonged to each other. I slowly bent down and brushed my lips against his. A sigh escaped his lips and a small smirk formed on his lips.

I bit my lower lip. Okay, so I know I said one kiss and I would leave but suddenly I wanted another one. I bent down again and press my lips to his again. This time his lips moved with mine and I felt his hand cup my face to bring my face closer to his. I slightly pulled away and looked back down. He was still asleep.

I bent down and kissed him again. I couldn't stop myself. This time he kissed me back with my feverish hunger. I felt his hands pull my shirt up slightly so that I could feel his hands on my bare skin. His warm hands on my lower back sent chills through me as he pressed me down closer to him. I could feel his heart quicken against my own chest.

I moved my kisses across his cheek, down to his chin and ended burying my face in his neck. He smelled so good, that I wanted to stay there forever. All of my thoughts were of how I wanted to be closer to him, which seemed so impossible due to how close our bodies already were. I pressed myself tighter to his body, hoping for me to miraculously fall into him. I felt his lips graze over my shoulder and I shuddered. I was becoming light headed not sure from either his touch or the heat that was radiating off his body. It could have been both. My fingers grazed his chest down to his stomach tracing the planes of each muscle. I took a deep breath and I kept my fingers moving, ending at 'v' his hips, following the waist band of his pants.

Suddenly I was in the air, his arms extending out holding my sides. I looked down at him, my hair falling forward and dripping on his face. He was suddenly awake.

"Nessie," he said in a tone that sounded almost exactly how my dad says my name when I'm in trouble.

I flashed him my biggest smile, hoping he would be upset that I snuck into his room.

"You shouldn't be here this late at night," he said. I could tell he was trying not to smile, forcing himself to keep a straight face.

I frowned. Was he unhappy that I was here? Did he want to be alone?

"That was a wonderful surprise to wake up to but I'm just afraid your parents will be upset if they find you here…and in my bed," he said as if he read my mind.

He set me back down on the bed and pushed himself up to lean against the headboard.

"They're not home," I said.

"Do you know when they are coming home?"

I shook my head. I guess the thought of when my parents might come back home never crossed my mind. He rolled his eyes.

"Let's get you to bed," he said as he climbed out of the sheets and put a shirt on. He turned his back to me and pointed at it.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

I giggled. It had seemed like forever since he had tucked me in. He used to always give me a piggy back ride before bed. I hopped up behind him, wrapping my legs over his waist and my arms around his neck. I kissed his face.

"Eww, you are all wet and now your making me wet," he teased.

"Sorry."

"Why didn't you call me? I would have picked you up. I've been waiting for your call all night."

"I wanted to run home."

He walked across the backyard and into the dark house. I kept kissing his neck as he made his way upstairs and into my room. He set me down on the bed.

"I'm sure you want to change into some dry clothes?"

"Probably."

I went to my drawers pulling a pair of shorts and a tank top to sleep in. I headed to the bathroom to change. As I came out, he had pulled the sheets down from my bed and was sitting up against my pillows. I walked over to him and sat in his lap. I laid my arms across his shoulders and looked into his eyes. I leaned into to kiss him.

"I think you got me worked up enough for one day Nessie. There is only so much I can take."

I leaned in closer to him, whispering in his ear.

"Then stop resisting," I said.

He chucked as he picked me up again and tucked me into the bed. I put my head on his lap.

"Remember when I use to sleep in your bed all the time?" I said.

"Yes, but things are different now. We can't do that anymore."

I felt him stroking my hair, pushing the small strands behind my ear. I sighed.

"Hey, it's a good different, right?" he asked.

I smiled.

"Yes, your right."

I had someone I could kiss whenever I wanted and who loved me exactly the way I loved them. I had my soul mate...my imprint…my everything.

I yawned, feeling my eye lids get heavy.

"At least stay till I fall asleep?" I asked.

"Okay."

I woke up to hear faint talking downstairs. It was family and it sounded like a serious discussion. It seemed that they haven't noticed I was awake. My father was speaking; he must not have heard my mind wake up yet. He sounded distressed.

"Alice, what else did you see?" he asked.

"Edward, I showed you everything. I don't know what else you want from me," Aunt Alice said sounding frustrated.

"I'm sorry. I just am trying to make sense out of it all."

"They are not happy. Word is spreading of what happened, their reputation is at stake," my uncle Jasper said.

_Who are they?_ I thought.

"Why would they be visiting mental institutions?" I heard my mother ask.

"Not all the crazy people there are crazy. Some are actually telling the truth," my grandfather said.

There was a silent pause.

"We should discuss this later," I heard my father say. He knew I was awake.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you so much for the reviews! Wow, over 50 reviews. You guys are great! Hope you like the next chapter. Hopefully it explains a little more of the story. Can you guess where this story is going?? haha. Hopefully I did not put that bad of a cliff hanger. **

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_Like hell they were going to discuss this later. __**We**__ are going to discuss this now. _I thought (making sure I emphasized the 'we' in my head) as I jumped out of bed and dashed downstairs. I heard my father sigh. When I reached downstairs, I found them all sitting at the dining room table. It was silent as I made my way to the table and took a seat. I glanced across the table to see Jacob. I was surprised that I hadn't noticed him. I glared at him as he tried not to meet my eyes, staring at his hands on the table. Now I was really upset.

_Jacob is in on these secret meetings but I'm not allowed?_ I took a deep breath to control my anger. I needed to act like the rational adult I know I can be.

"Go on," I tried to say in my best calm voice.

Everyone looked at my parents while they looked back at me.

"Nessie, this isn't a conversation you should be involved in," my father said.

"Why not?"

"We don't want to cause you unnecessary worry."

"You won't. I can handle it."

"Nessie, we are not discussing this any further," my dad used in his annoying strict tone. I could feel everyone get uncomfortable in the room as they were baring witness to our family squabble.

"I have the right to know what is going on too! It's not fair!" Ugh, how did that come out incredibly whiny?

"Nessie, no," he said.

"When are you going to start treating me like an adult?!"

Just then I heard Emmet cough but it sounded like the word six. I glared at him, as he shrugged his shoulders trying to hide a smile. I rolled my eyes. Only my Uncle Emmet would toss in a joke in the most inappropriate time.

"I obviously act more like an adult than Uncle Emmet. No one will disagree," I said.

"Hey!" Uncle Emmet tried to interject as Uncle Jasper stifles a laugh.

"If he gets to be here, then so should I."

I glared right back at my father as he glared right back at me. I hated that authority stare, it made me want to turn away and divert my eyes somewhere else. But I held on.

"No," he said sharply. I looked at my mother, who obviously felt the same way, maybe a little more upset that I was being defiant against my father. It took all the energy I could muster up not to throw a fit and stomp on the floor.

I groaned and pushed myself away from the table. I stomped back to the stairs, making sure everyone knew how upset I was. It wasn't until I placed my hand on the staircase that a light bulb went off in my head. I paused for a minute.

_I'll just ask Jacob. He won't deny me_, I thought. I felt the smirk form on my face. I heard a growl escape from my father's chest. I knew he was looking directly at Jacob.

"What? I didn't do anything?" I heard Jacob say as I made my way back upstairs.

I slowly took each step waiting for my father to change his mind.

"Nessie, come back downstairs," my father called for me.

I made my way back down to the table, biting my lip trying to hide my smirk confirming that I won the argument. As I sat down I looked around the table. My parents were still glaring at Jacob, while most everyone else was trying to hide their smile, all except my Aunt Rosalie. She had no interest hiding her grin.

"Good for you," she mouthed. I knew she enjoyed seeing my father lose an argument.

"Anyone care to bring me up to speed?" I asked.

"We have some concerns about the Volturi. Alice has been watching them," my grandfather said.

"It seems Aro is getting desperate. He is power hungry, more so then ever. Caius is helping fuel that fire, he wants a battle. He doesn't have Eleazar anymore to help find new talent," Alice said.

"Talent?" I asked.

"Yes, he is looking for humans with talent. We are assuming that they are hoping when they are turned into a vampire they will possess a power. Aro is hoping one stronger than your mother's talent…stronger than Alice or you father… or you," Jasper said.

Jasper pushed several news article clippings to me. Each one reported disappearances from mental hospitals and insane asylums across the world. I focused on one clipping with a picture of a woman in her mind 30s. The woman had dark hair and a noticeable mole on her chin. I read the article quickly. She had been put their by her husband. It state that she was some sort of medium but was plagued with her gift. She claimed that the dead were haunting her and would not leave her alone. This drove her into insanity.

"We have been receiving these by mail from friends. There is serious talk going on in the vampire community," he continued.

"It seems they are no longer looking for an excuse," Alice said quietly.

"Excuse?" I asked.

"An excuse to pay us a visit," my mother said softly.

I felt my heart stop. I had not thought of the Volturi since that day. My family had kept me safe and I was reassured that no one and nothing could break my family. Those red eyes shot through my mind.

"They want to wipe us out?" I asked nervously.

"I won't let that happen. We won't let that happen," my father said through his teeth.

I took a deep breath.

"When?" I asked Alice.

"I don't know. The fortunate thing is that they can't find anyone that possesses such a power that would trump any of our own. Our alliance with other covens is growing larger. They have heard our story."

Annabel, I thought. Clearly she was unique human; if they knew about her they would try to turn her. I shuddered.

"Nobody knows about her but us. She will be safe, we will be watching her," my father said.

"Don't worry Nessie, I'm watching her," Alice said.

I looked across the table at Jacob. His eyes locked onto mine. He was worried and I could see the hint of fear behind his eyes. I've never seen this look from him before. He was never fearful of anything. I bit my lower lip. How did my world get so frightening in a matter of minutes?

"Jacob is taking you back to Forks with him this upcoming weekend," my mother said.

I looked at her, not understanding.

"We need to do some traveling. Gather our alliances, bring them here and discuss the best course of action," Carlisle said.

"I can't come with you? I could help," I pleaded. I felt panic set in. I have never been away from my family before, especially my parents.

"No Nessie. It is too dangerous. There may be newborns and you are still half human. You will be safe with Jacob…with the pack. It will only be for the weekend," my father said.

"I can hold my own."

"Absolutely not," Jacob said sternly. I shot a look at him, surprised at the first words he had chosen to say for the first time since I came down here and slightly hurt that he didn't think I could take care of myself.

I sighed.

"Can't you just call them?" I said quietly.

"You know we can't do that," said my father. He was right; I knew that it wasn't an option. If it was, they wouldn't need to leave. Stupid old vampires who refuse to embrace technology. Some vampires preferred to always try and live in the time that they had once been human. It was like holding onto what they once were.

"It will be okay Nessie. It will only be for a weekend. You'll be home before you know it. Don't you miss the pack? Seth and Claire? You'll have tons of fun. Charlie will be happy to see you as well," My mother said.

I rolled my eyes. I'm sure I'll have tons of fun trying not to worry about my family.

XOXOXO

"I'm telling him," Annabel said after the bell rang to dismiss the class.

I gathered my books and followed her out the door.

"Christian?" I asked.

"Yes."

"What exactly are you going to tell him?"

"About my secret."

My stomach turned. I pulled her into an empty classroom and closed the door. She looked at me surprised.

"Don't worry Nessie, I won't say anything about you or your family."

"No, I'm not worried about that. I trust you. I just…do you think that's the right thing to do?"

Memories of my family discussion the other day were still lingering in my head. I shouldn't have forced them to tell me. I longed to be in ignorant bliss then I wouldn't be having nightmares… nightmares that my father also saw and had to wake me up from the last couple of nights. I cringed as he looked at me with those 'I told you so' eyes but was grateful to have him there hum to me back to sleep.

"I think I love him Nessie. I refuse to lose him just because I don't age. I don't care if he gets old, I'll want to be with him no matter what. I want him to know the real me."

"I don't know Annabel. Can't you wait to tell him?"

"Wait for what?"

I didn't know what I should tell her. That I was afraid of her secret falling into the wrong hands? That this secret circle that we had, needed to stay as small as possible? I couldn't tell her that. I didn't want to scare her and if I told her, well that would mean I would have to bring more explanations of my past that I truly wasn't ready to share yet.

I took a deep breath.

"When are you planning on telling him?" I asked her.

"I dunno… maybe next month or over Thanksgiving break."

That bought some time.

"What do you think he will say?"

"I haven't really thought about it," she said shrugging.

"I think you may want to."

She thought for a moment.

"You're probably right. I should prepare myself just incase he can't…accept this," she said as she waved her hand over herself.

I saw the worry fall on her face. Clearly this was the first time that it crossed her mind.

I put my arm around her and pulled her in for a hug.

"Hey, I'm sure he will be okay with it. If he really, truly loves you, then he will learn to accept it. It will be the ultimate test," I said to her.

"I know. Come on, let's get some lunch."

XOXOXO

It was Friday. My family and I got to leave school early. Jacob and I were doing a quick hunt before leaving the house. We were planning on leaving the second we got back to gather out suitcases. So when I noticed Annabel's car in my driveway I was surprised. School had not ended yet. I walked into the foyer through the kitchen. I saw Annabel sitting on at the table talking with Carlisle, the rest of my family standing around.

She saw me and smiled.

"Hey Nessie!" she said.

"Hey. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" I asked her.

She shrugged.

"I'm skipping. Carlisle called to tell me he wanted to go over my blood tests. I'm not missing anything. I've taken Trig like over 10 times."

"Blood tests?"

"Yes. Annabel allowed me to take some samples of her blood while she was in the hospital with Christian," my grandfather said.

"I figured maybe he could figure out what I am. Or find some sort of clue of how I came to be."

"So what is the verdict?"

"Well apparently…for the most part, I'm a normal human."

I laughed.

"That's good. I mean, it would suck that my first human friend wasn't really human."

"It's amazing Nessie. All of her vitals respond exactly how a human should. But her blood, it's like this constantly regenerating. I took some skin samples too. It is always in a constant state of healing. No matter what I added to her blood, it healed it self, flushed out what was foreign. I even tested it with venom," my grandfather spoke with astonishment.

"Venom did nothing?" I felt relief. She could not be changed.

"Well it took it some time, but in the end the blood would not accept it. It healed itself."

I looked back at her and gave her a huge smile.

"Annabel, your gift is truly a gift from god," Carlisle said.

It was silent as we all took in this information. Everything about Annabel was human. But who she was, was truly a miracle. I smiled to myself and gloated that she was one of my good friends, my best friend besides Jacob. I pick amazing people.

"Carlisle…do you think?" Rosalie asked.

"Rose," my father said to her sternly.

"I can not say something Edward," she said to my father.

"Not now, Rose," he said through his teeth.

She growled at him, then quickly walked out of the room, Emmett following behind.

"What is wrong with Aunt Rosalie," I asked.

"Nothing," Aunt Alice and my father said at the same time.

I walked Annabel out to her car to say goodbye.

"So you'll be back on Monday?" she asked me.

"Yeah. What are you up to this weekend?"

"You know, the usual…hanging out with Christian."

"Sounds like a blast."

"It always is."

"Still waiting to tell him?" I asked her. I wanted to make sure that she was still planning on waiting to tell him.

"Yeah, I think it's for the best. I need to plan out what I'm going to say. It may take a while. It was easy with you because well, no offence, but you are freak too."

I laughed and gave her a hug goodbye.

"I'll call you this weekend to say hi?" she asked me.

"Sure sounds good!"

I watched her get in her car and waved goodbye. I turned around to find Jacob standing behind me.

"Are you ready? The car is all loaded," he asked.

"Yes."

I went inside to say goodbye to my family. I struggled with my tears trying not to be so dramatic when I said goodbye to my parents. Only a few escaped. I was truly a baby. I was already homesick as we drove off to the airport. I looked out the window and tried not to look so distraught. I quickly wiped the tears on my sleeve hoping Jacob didn't catch them.

I felt his hand rub my shoulder.

"It's only two nights, Nessie. It will be okay, I promise. Monday will be here before you even know it," he said trying to soothe me.

I only nodded.

"Aren't you excited to see everyone? The last time they saw you, you looked like you were 13. They are going to be so happy to see you, especially Claire."

I tried to put a smile on my face. For whatever reason, whenever I was around Claire she hung on to me the whole night. I didn't mind it, but I just didn't really know what her attraction to me was. I guess we both have been love since the moment we were born. Maybe she felt some sort of kinship from that. It would be weird though when I would remember that technically she was older than me. The only time she left my side was when Quil called for her.

I was becoming slightly more excited to see everyone, especially my grandfather. I remembered the surprised look on his face the last time we came to visit. He hadn't expected me to grow that fast. It was for his wedding. Sue and he finally decided to tie the knot after about 4 years of dating. He was so happy. I laughed when I would think of how he would look at me with those same wide brown eyes that I had whenever I did something abnormal. I couldn't help it. I always wanted to impress him. At first my mother told me that I should do anything out of the ordinary as it might scare Charlie, but I knew otherwise. He could handle it. He had thick skin and he knew _exactly_ was going on. He knew _exactly_ who I was and where I came from. He also knew _exactly _what my family was. Also, he had practically married into the pack. He had werewolves for step kids , a vampire daughter and a half breed for a granddaughter. He was one of those people who fit in with the unordinary and the unusual.

Suddenly it dawned on me how Charlie would take the news of his granddaughter getting a new boyfriend. And not any boyfriend…a boyfriend who was Jacob. Who once tried to date his daughter but now was dating his granddaughter.

"What are you thinking about?" Jacob asked. "You look distressed."

"Does Charlie know we are dating?"

I watched him pause and bit his lip.

"Hmm…. I don't think so. It might be a little too much for him to handle. Maybe we should be low key when he is around."

I nodded. This was going to be an interesting weekend.

XOXOXOX

As we got off the plane and walking to the baggage claim, it was hard not to notice Seth. He had come to pick us up from the airport. We arrived in the evening. I watched Seth barrel through the crowd. Wow, did he grow! His height toward over everyone as he walked toward us. His grin was wide and his eyes sparkling. I could see he was ecstatic to see us.

"Jake!" he shouted. "I can see Alice got a hold of your wardrobe. Looking good."

Jake turned around, with the same grin and gave him a hug.

"Hey Seth. Yeah she did. How are you?" he said.

"Good. You know, same old," Seth said.

"How's school?"

"One more semester to go."

Seth, Leah, Embry and Quil were apart of Jake's pack. After the last Volturi visit, Jake had come to live with my family to be with me but the rest of the pack stayed in Forks. All of them were able to finish up their schooling and go off to college. It had been pretty quiet, no immediate danger and Jake wanted them to live as normal of a life as they could. Sam had watched out for them, while Jake was away.

"Oh my god! Is that Nessie?" Seth said as he already scooped me up in his arms and gave me a big bear hug.

"Yes, Seth. It's me," I struggled to say as he was crushing my lungs. Not enough to hurt me though.

"Wow, look at you. All grown up!"

I laughed.

"Jake, you really are a lucky man."

"Oh I know," he said as he put is arm around my waist. "Anyone special in your life?"

"Nope, not yet. But I'm definitely looking," Seth said. "Got any cute friends, Nessie?"

All I could do was giggle.

We grabbed our luggage and headed to Seth's car. Seth and Jake caught each other up on the latest news that has been going on within Forks and within the tribe.

"So what is the plan tonight?" Jacob asked.

"Beach party," Seth said.

"Beach party?" I asked.

"Yep. Our Alpha is home. How can we not throw a massive party?"

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**If you would like a teaser for the next chapter, please review and i'll send you it. It worked so well the last time. Thanks again for the support!! Also, i'm looking for a beta. I just need one to check grammer and such. Make sure it flows okay. So if you know of someone good or are one, please let me know. I've never used one before and would like to try it out. Thanks.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I can't thank you guys enough for the wonderful response for this story. I get a high for every review written and I have been very fortunate to have gotten some REALLY good ones. I've also have received some amazing PMs about the story as well. This should be one of the longest chapters written so far. Go me. ******** Hope you enjoy it!!**

**Thank you so **_**very, very**_** much to Zyla and writerAngel7 for Beta-ing this story. They deserve huge credit for this story. It was hard to go with just one as both contributed really good things to the story. So I took ideas, corrections and suggestions from both and pulled them together. I apologize if this is a serious fanfiction faux pas. Please do not stone me. Either way, thank you for helping make it a thousand times better chapter. Thank you also for the people expressed interest in being a beta for me. I could believe the response of people who wanted to help make my chapters better. It was truly appreciated. **

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I glanced out the window of the car to look up at the house. It looked exactly how remembered it. Warm and brightly lit, I could hear many voices talking and walking around the house. My best memories came from this house. It was the house I was born in.

Of course, this house was an unexpected gift the Cullen family gave to Charlie and Sue when they got married. They were completely taken aback by the gesture and at first they tried very hard to decline. There was absolutely no way that they could accept such a gift, especially since they already owned two houses between them. After some convincing they finally gave in. They were going to need a house like this. It was certainly large enough to host all of the pack gatherings and far removed enough so that my family could visit without being noticed from people in town. The house would have been abandoned for we could not return to live in Forks permanently for quite a while. Plus Leah and Seth had decided to stay home and attend community college. They were beyond ecstatic about living in such a large house. Leah especially, for I knew she was eyeing Alice's old room with the huge closet.

Seth and Jacob were already out of the car and making their way to the porch. I followed a few steps behind. Seeing everyone again always made me a little uncomfortable and shy. Their wide eyed looks as the noticed how much I had grown always made me feel like a freak. I tried not to take it personally and remembered that that I would no longer get those looks soon.

Leah and Embry rushed out the door to greet us.

"Wow Jake! You look really good. Thinking of dropping this pack stuff and becoming a model?" Leah said as she hugged him.

"Very funny Leah. It's nice to see you too," Jake said.

"Hey Mr. GQ," Embry said as he came in for his hug. "I guess when your living with the Cullens you start looking like them too."

Embry wrinkled his nose, "Ugh. And smelling like them."

"Okay no more talk about how I look or smell. It's really nice to see you guys."

I felt Seth's warm arm over my shoulders as he pulled me away from my discreet hiding place in Jake's back.

"Hey guys, have you met my new college girlfriend?" Seth said jokingly.

"Is that Nessie?!" Leah said.

I smiled slightly and did an awkward wave.

"Yep. Hi," I said quietly.

Jacob slugged Seth in the arm and took his rightful place next to me.

"Wow!" was all Embry said as he gave me a hug.

"Jake said you had grown a lot. I guess for whatever reason I was still expecting to see a little girl," Leah said as she came in for her hug.

"Alright guys, you can't hog them up anymore. I want to see my granddaughter," I heard Charlie say as he made his way to the door.

As he got to the doorway he stumbled slightly when he got sight of me. His eyes were wide as he took the full image of me in. I smiled back when I caught his eyes. It was like staring into my own.

"Nessie?" he said surprisingly.

"Hi grandpa," I said.

He shook his head as if doing so would make my child self reappear in front of him. He then walked over to me and gave me a tight hug. If I had been human he might have been able to crush me. I laughed as I hugged him back, trying to be careful so I didn't do any crushing.

"Wow, look at you. I can't believe I have such a beautiful granddaughter."

I giggled and couldn't help blushing.

"Let me get a good look at you," he said as he spun me around, then pulled me in a tight and embraced me again.

"How are my daughter and son doing?" he asked me.

"Good, good."

"The rest of the family?"

"Their good as well."

"They couldn't come up to visit?"

"Sorry Grandpa, only I could. They had business they had to attend to," I said remembering my strict orders not to say anything to my grandfather about what was going on. "They said that they will be here for Christmas though."

"I suppose I can forgive them, only because they sent my favorite granddaughter to visit."

"I'm your only granddaughter," I said rolling my eyes.

"Either way, you are still my favorite," he said as he kissed me on my forehead. "Well come in and get settled. Sue made sure the rooms were all set for your stay. I'm sure everyone is excited to see you and there is a ton of food thanks to Emily, Sue, Rachel and even Claire."

He turned to Jacob.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with Billy while you are here?" he asked Jacob with a hint of suspicion.

"Can't. Under strict orders to watch this one," Jacob said pointing his finger to me.

Charlie shrugged as he turned back into the house. I twined the fingers of one of Jacob's hands with my own. A wave of bliss came over me as I looked up at him, finding that he was looking back down at me with the same adoring eyes. Charlie turned around again as if he just remembered he forgot to say something but stopped short when his eyes fell on our clasped hands. His brow furrowed, but he shook his head again and started into the house.

Not everyone could fit at the table, or even the house for that matter. The little kids sat in the kitchen eating while everyone else found places around the house to sit down with their food. It was hard to believe how big the pack had gotten. Also, it was nice to find how often they had imprinted. There seemed to be a couple of weddings every year. Jacob had told me that it was suppose to be a rarity, so I didn't understand why now it was so common. The pack just kept on growing and growing. I looked around the house noticing all of the large males taking up space in the house. Even this house seemed too small to hold them all.

I had thought I had come from a large family but being around the pack made me realize how small of a clan we comparatively are. Little groups of children ran throughout the house. I watched them, trying to figure which parents they belonged to. Jacob and I sat at the table eating with, of course, Claire on my other side. The family began to ask questions about how things were going, how the family was and and other varieties of cross-examination. I still could feel every set of eyes peering at me, though trying not to be obvious with their staring. Even though everyone knew I aged rapidly, it was still hard for them to take in everything they were seeing.

I always become a little quieter than usual when I'm around the pack. It was hard to get a word in edge wise anyways. I watched them laugh and talk loudly using their animated gestures. You could feel the warmth radiating from everyone.

I watched my grandfather whispering in Sue's ear "I love you" as she smiled back at him. He took his hand to the side of her face and pulled her closer to kiss her on the cheek. I couldn't help but notice the sparkle in his eye as he watched everyone around the table. We caught each other's eye and smiled at one another. I wondered what this life must be like for him now. I knew the majority of his life he had lived alone, with his daughter in another state and I am sure, only the occasional get together with friends. But now he was constantly surrounded by people. Was he happy in this life now? A life that was filled of mystical creatures? It was hard to imagine he could fit anywhere else but here.

"So Nessie, how's school going?" Sam asked me.

It got a little quiet as everyone stared at me, waiting for me to answer.

"Um, good. I like it," I said shrugging my shoulders, trying to hide how much the uncomfortable attention shift bothered me.

"Nessie got straight A's on her first quarter report card," Jake said smiling at me.

I rolled my eyes.

"It's not a big deal. I have really good tutors at home," I said trying to blow it off.

"Don't be so modest, Nessie. I'm sure you're the one tutoring Jake. It's kinda sad since this is his second time going through high school," Embry said jokingly.

"Very funny," Jake said as he attempted to through a piece of his bread at him, but Embry caught it in his mouth.

I knew everyone got a kick out of Jacob going back to high school. Immortality was different for the pack. None of them would need to put up any charade. As soon as the younger people in the tribe grow old enough to start joining the pack, the older members could start focusing on not phasing and in a sense retire from it all. I knew Sam would start looking for his replacement in the new generation that was being born now. I peered into the kitchen looking at all of the little children, wondering who would be the lucky one.

It was more surprising to find out that now it seemed their imprints didn't age either. Everyone looked exactly the same as the last time I saw them. But how could they not age, when clearly they could get hurt? I quickly glanced at Emily, Sam's wife. Clearly they were just as fragile as any other human being. I tried to imagine what she had looked like without the scares and started to wonder if Annabel could heal them, or if it was just too late to change. I felt that the pack was now discovering that their imprints played more of a role than what they initially thought.

It was also odd that Leah was still the only girl in the pack.

I felt Claire's eyes intensely staring at me, so I looked down at her. She smiled as she caught my attention.

"How is school for you Claire?" I asked.

"Good! It's hard though. Quil has to help me all the time with my homework."

"It's a good thing you have Quil around then, huh?"

She nodded her head in agreement.

I looked at her as she bit her bottom lip, contemplating something.

"Can I tell you something?" she whispered.

"Sure."

"It's a secret," she said in an even softer whisper.

"Okay."

I leaned down towards her and she tried to lean up. She cupped my ear with her hand as she leaned in to tell me.

"I wish Quil was my boyfriend," she said so softly but I knew every one of the pack had heard. I quickly looked at Quil who had just dropped his fork.

She looked back at me with surprised look that I'm sure matched my own. She put her hands over her mouth to stifle a giggle. The room suddenly went quiet as the family members noticed the pack trying not to laugh and shot them befuddled, questioning looks. Jake tried to get the conversation back up in hopes that Claire wouldn't notice that we'd heard her. She must not know exactly how sensitive the pack members' ears were.

I smiled back at her not knowing what to say. Does she even know what having a boyfriend means? She can't think of Quil like that, right? This must be those weird kid things were they call anyone who share their milk with them their boyfriend or girlfriend.

"I'm sure it will happen one day," I said. Her eyes brightened and her smile grew wider.

"But not till your older… like way older," I quickly said.

Her brows furrowed but she nodded. I could tell she was slightly annoyed. I looked up at Jacob who shot me a wink. The conversation picked some more throughout the house and I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I fished it out of my jeans and looked at the ID. My parents.

"Excuse me," I said but I knew no one was really playing attention. Jacob nodded though. I pulled away from the table as I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Nessie! I miss you so much already!" my mom said over the phone.

"Hi Mom."

I walked over to the stairs in the foyer and sat down on the steps. Claire followed me there.

"Can I sit with you?" she asked.

"Um, sure."

I still couldn't understand what her draw was to me. She made her way onto my lap, which was awkward because she was kind of too big to be sitting on me. I continued talking while she combed her dolls hair.

"So was your flight okay?" my mother continued.

"Yep, it was good. Nothing exciting."

"Good. How is everyone over there?"

"Same as always…loud."

My mom laughed, "Yes, I can hear them now. How did Charlie take your new growth spurt?"

"Surprised I guess. He does have the same wide eyed look every time I see him."

"Yeah, I know the look."

"How are things going over there?"

"They are going very well. No obstacles yet trying to get in contact with anyone. Everyone that we connect with ask all about you. It's a good thing I loaded new pictures up on my phone. They all comment on how beautiful you have become."

I pursed my lips together. It always felt weird for me to get compliments. Even from my parents. It is not that I didn't believe them or that I thought they were lying, I just never knew what the proper response should be. All I knew was to just say thank you.

"Um… tell them I said thanks."

My mother laughed.

"So what are the plans for you and Jacob this weekend?" she asked.

"I don't know. I think there is a party tonight for Jacob at the beach. But other than that, I'm not sure."

"Well that sounds like fun."

"Yeah, it should be," I tried to sound excited but the homesick feeling was creeping back in.

"We will see each other soon, before you know it. I miss you so much. Your father wants to talk to you, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you Nessie."

"Love you too, Mom."

"Nessie?"

"Hi Dad."

"How are you doing?"

"Good."

"Everyone is well?"

"Yes. Everyone is doing well."

"Your mother and I miss you _very much_," he said as he emphasized the words 'very much.' It made me smile that I knew he felt wrenched about leaving me but was trying to play strong for my mother.

"I miss you guys too."

"I forgot to mention. You might want to keep your relationship with Jacob low key around Charlie."

Eh. Anytime my dad used 'relationship' and 'Jacob' in the same sentence it just felt weird. It made me anxious every time he mentioned those words, and I'd hold my breath hoping that he wasn't going to seg way into a sex talk. It was an automatic reaction.

"I know. Jacob and I already spoke about it."

"Oh okay. Good."

It was silent for a brief moment.

"Well I should let you go and get back. I'm sure you will have lots of stories to share when you come back home," my father sighed.

"I really, really miss you guys," I said out of nowhere. God was I homesick.

"We miss you too. Only two nights and we will be together again."

"I know."

"We have let you go. We'll call again soon. Tell everyone we send our regards."

"Okay, dad."

"I love you Nessie."

"Love you too."

As I snapped my phone shut and slid it back into my pocket, I looked at Claire, who looked up at me and smiled.

"Come on, munchkin. I'm sure Quil is wondering where you are," I said as I swung her on my back. We walked back in the dining room and I saw Jacob talking with Sam in the corner. They looked like they were having a very serious conversation. He saw me coming back into the room and smiled before turning back to Sam.

"Well discuss this tomorrow. Have everyone meet here at Charlie's at noon." I heard him say to Sam.

"Okay. You should talk to Billy about inviting Charlie over. I believe Sue is helping Emily shop for the new baby's room."

"She just keeps popping them out, doesn't she?"

Sam laughed.

I gave Claire to Quil. I could tell her eyes were already getting sleepy as I passed her over.

"Come on, Claire. Time for bed."

"I'm not tired. I want to stay with Nessie," she whined.

"Your parents are going to start to worry," he said.

"But I want to stay with you!" she said as she started to cry. Quil shot me the "she is going through that stage" look.

"Claire, I promise we will spend time with each other. Quil can bring you here right when you wake up in the morning. We'll watch one of your favorite movies."

She sniffled, "You promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay."

She yawned and put her head down on his shoulder.

Quil smiled and mouthed thank you as he was making his way to leave. I watched them walk out the door. I wondered if Jacob ever had that many problems with me. I laughed. I probably gave him lots of problems.

"What's so funny?" he said as he snuck up behind me.

"It's nothing."

"Who's ready to party?!" Seth said before Jacob could pry anymore. Everyone was making their way out of the house and driving away.

"Are you guys heading out for the night?" Charlie said.

"Yeah, apparently there is a party on the beach," Jake said.

"Not just any party,_** the**_ party of the year."

"Nessie, are you planning on going?" Charlie asked, not sure if I should be allowed to go. I was technically still only 6.

"Of course Nessie is going," Seth said.

Charlie flashed him a peeved look.

"Yes, I was planning on going. Would be okay with you?" I said to Charlie.

"Would that be okay with your parents?"

"Edward would totally be cool with Nessie going to the party. I'm sure Bella wouldn't mind either," Seth interjected again.

"Seth, stop being annoying," Leah called across the room.

"I'm not being annoying," Seth called back to her. "Besides, you can't tell me what to do anymore. Jake is here."

Seth turned to Jacob and smiled.

"Stop being annoying, Seth," Jacob said.

Seth scowled and walked towards the door.

"I'll just wait for you guys outside," he called over his shoulder.

"Yes, my parents are okay with it. You could call them if you'd like to," I continued with Charlie.

"Don't worry Charlie, I won't keep her out late," Jacob said.

Charlie gave him that same weird look…a suspicious look. He shook it off as he came over to give me a hug.

"Okay well have a good time tonight. I'm so glad you came to visit, Nessie," he said.

"Me too."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Sounds good."

As we approached the beach, it looked like we were one of the last ones to arrive. We drove with Seth and Leah, but as soon as we got out of the car they made their way to their friends. It was a cold night. Everyone was huddled near several bonfires spread throughout the area. Some of them stood around talking, while others were dancing to the loud music coming from someone's Jeep. I didn't realize how many people were going to be at this party.

Jacob reached for my hand and led me down to the party.

"So our guests of honor finally arrive!" Embry shouted as he ventured over to us.

"Well, we really just came to make an appearance," Jacob said jokingly.

"Very funny. Hey, I want you to met Gwen."

He turned around and motioned for a girl to come his way. She walked up. I could tell she was nervous as her heart speed up a little bit as her eyes met mine. She was very "All American Girl" with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Honey, this is the Jake and Nessie I've been talking," Embry said.

"Nice to meet you Gwen," I said as I held out my hand to shake hers. She nervously reached for my hand. I couldn't help but noticed how nervously it shook and how sweaty her hand was. She could barely look me in the eyes.

"Um, nice to meet you too," she stammered out.

Jake held his hand to shake hers.

"It's an honor," she said in a low hushed tone and then reached out to shake his hand. She did a slight curtsy which took me completely off guard. I gave Embry a weird look.

"I'm, um, going to get something, um, to drink," she stammered as she quickly made an exit. I watched her walk away, shaking her head to herself. I looked up at saw Embry staring after her. I could even feel the pull she had on him and how much he desired to follow her. I suddenly understood. He had imprinted on her, which meant she knew everything. She knew that I was half vampire, which was probably the main reason of why she was so nervous.

"That was weird," Jacob said.

"Yeah, you'll have to excuse her. I only meet her two weeks ago. I believe she keeps thinking that the alpha is like a king or something."

"I dunno. I think she might be on to something. I wouldn't mind people bowing down before me. I really have completely looked at this Alpha thing totally wrong."

I laughed.

"She seems very nice. I'm sure she will get used to everything soon and won't be so shy around us," I said.

"I find the shyness so endearing," Embry said in an almost cooing tone.

"Man, you got it bad," Jacob said slapping him on the back.

"Don't we all?" he said still staring at Gwen. He walked back over to her.

While we walked around the party, I noticed that the humans that were not a part of the pack smelled a little funny…a little off.

"Why do some of these people smell weird?" I asked Jacob whispering to him.

"Hmm?" he said as he sniffed the air.

I paused, waiting for his answer.

"Oh, some of them are drinking," he said.

"Drinking what?" I asked.

"Alcohol. It gets into their blood stream. That's probably what you smell."

"Do you drink?"

"No, not really," he shrugged his arms. "Our bodies metabolize it too fast. It doesn't really have any effect on us."

"Oh."

It dawned on me that I had never been around people who drank alcohol before. As we made our way over to a cooler, Jacob pulled out a bottle and opened it. He put the bottle near my nose.

"Is that what you smell?"

"Yep."

I held my hand out so he could give the bottle over to me. I wondered if I would feel anything if I drank it.

"Um, I don't think your parents would appreciate me giving you alcohol," Jacob said.

I sighed. It smelled awful anyways.

"Jacob Black?" Shouted a guy with blonde hair and a boyish face.

"Wow. Mike Newton," Jake said.

**Sorry for the sort of cliffy. I know some people get really upset when I do that. You were probably hoping to read more of the beach party so I apologize in advance for that too. Next chapter will have all of that and more Jake/Nessie stuff. I'm missing the romance as much as you are! So as promised, if you review I will send you a teaser of the next chapter. Thanks again for reading!! L**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks again so much for the wonderful reviews.  You guys are great!!  I hope you like the next chapter.  I had so much fun writing it...especially the Nessie/Jacob parts.  Thank you Zyla and writerAngel7 for beta-ing this story.  I think these past two chapters have been the best by far!  Anyways...enjoy chapter 17!**

* * *

"How are things going?" this blonde haired Mike Newton asked Jacob.

"Good. Never better," Jake responded. I felt him give my hand a light squeeze. As I watched Mike's eyes dart around the party nervously, I realized he had not yet noticed me standing next to Jacob.

"I heard you were in town. Gwen told me they were throwing a welcome home party for you, so I figured I'd stop by."

"Hoping to see Bella?" Jacob smirked.

"Well…u know," he said uncomfortably. "We kind of lost touch over the years. Just was curious how she was doing."

"She's doing great. So how do you know Gwen?"

"Oh, friends from college. She's a great girl. I didn't realize how serious her and Embry had gotten." A small frown appeared on his lips.

"Yep, they look pretty serious."

I glanced over to Embry and Gwen as they huddle together by the fire roasting marshmallows.

"So….. I heard you and Bella still keep in touch," he said akwardly. I could tell he was trying to bring the subject back up again, but I didn't know why.

"Yeah, we're still pretty close."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Is she still married to Edward?"

Jacob nodded.

"Wow, that's really cool that you can still remain friends after everything."

"Actually, it seems everything worked out in the end. Things really do happen for a reason."

"Oh?"

Jacob glanced down to me and pulled me slightly forward.

"Mike, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Nessie Cullen. Nessie, this is Mike Newton. He went to high school with your family. He graduated with Bella, Edward, and Alice."

Mike glanced at me for the very first time. His eyes widened. I put my hand out to shake his.

"Hi. Nice to meet you," I said as he cautiously shook my hand, staring at my face.

"Cullen?" he said.

"Yes, Edward is my…cousin."

He didn't respond at first, but instead just stared at me. He stared long enough that it started getting uncomfortable. I looked up at Jacob, who was casually smiling back at Mike. Feeling my tension, Jacob wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave a light squeeze.

"So Mike, what else have you been up to?"

"Huh?" Mike said still in a daze. "Oh, um, finished school about a year ago. I'm back at home helping my parents with the store."

"Very cool."

There was a awkward pause. I looked up at Mike, flinching just the slightest under his continuing stare.

"Well we have a couple other people to hi to, so…," Jacob said breaking the uncomfortable air. "I'll let Bella know you said hi."

Without waiting for a response, Jacob and I walked away. When we were out of Mike's hearing distance, Jacob barked out a laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"I just remembered something."

"Tell me?"

"That kid used to have it pretty bad for your mom. I was just remembering the time he asked her out to a movie but she decided to make it this big group date. Well the other people bailed on her, so that left just Mike, me and your mom. He ended up getting sick and spent the whole movie throwing up in the bathroom. Man, that must have been such a disappointing night for him."

He started to laugh again and then said, "He's probably even more disappointed tonight."

~*~*~*~

I was sitting on a log with Rachael and Leah watching Jacob joke and dance around with Embry, Quil and Paul. Whenever he was around the pack, it was like he was a kid again. A little guilt started to slip into me. Watching him this happy, made me remember how much he sacrificed to be with me. It must be so hard living with a bunch vampires. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he laughed with his friends.

The light from the fire made his skin look even warmer, with a tint of gold. He looked over to me and flashed me a smile. My heart practically stopped. It felt like I grew more attracted to him, wanting him even more than I did the previous day. How could that be possible? Even if it was, it couldn't be healthy.

"Come dance with me, Nessie," Seth said as he held his hand for me. I grabbed his hand and he helped pull me to my feet.

Seth twirled me around for a while before he decided to show off his own dance moves. I laughed as he broke out into the running man. I forgot how much fun I had with Seth. Some of my favorite memories were from the few years we stayed in Forks. Jake and Seth would take me to the beach on sunny days. I would climb on their backs as they went cliff diving. Apparently it was something Jacob was reluctant to do with my mom when she was human, but I was less breakable.

"I missed having you around, Cullen," he said.

"Missed you too Seth."

"Are you taking care of our Alpha?"

"Of course!" I said laughing as a Justin Timberlake song came on and he did his best impression.

I watched him dance and tried my best to keep up. Soon everyone was up on their feet dancing. I watched Paul make his way over to us.

"This party is crazy. Reminds me of the party we threw that night when we thought the Cullens left Forks for good," Paul said to Seth.

Seth gave him look and pointed at me.

"Paul, you can be so dense," Seth said.

"Oh sorry, Nessie. That was before, you know… everything. We like your family now…I personally like your family…you guys are practically like family," he said trying to backtrack.

I nodded and gave him look of my own.

"It still surprises me that you are a dad," Seth joked around with him.

We were still laughing and dancing when I felt Jacob put his hands on my hips from behind me. It was like my body instantly knew it was him, recognizing its counterpoint. He pulled me closer into our own little world where no one else existed. My heart stuttered a few times as I felt him move up against me. The heat radiating off of him against my back could almost make me faint. He turned me around and I looked up at him. His eyes were so intense; I couldn't help but look away. But as I started to turn my head, his fingers caught my chin. As he held my eyes with his gaze, he wrapped his arms around my waist and I pressed myself against his chest.

"Come walk with me," he said suddenly.

I couldn't speak. I was just too caught up in the moment, so I simply nodded my head as he led the way and walked farther down the beach. This was a more private area, but was still close enough to the party to see the glow of the bon-fires. Jacob sat down in the sand and leaned against a rock that faced the water. I took a seat next to him and looked out into the ocean. It was a full moon tonight and it was beautiful to see the light glistening off of everything. He suddenly lifted me up and placed me in his lap.

"Sorry, you just weren't sitting close enough," he said.

I giggled as I leaned my head against his chest, listening to his heart beat and the wave's crash against each other. Yes, this was much better, I thought as he wrapped his arms around me to hold me tight.

"I don't think you realize how much you mean to me," he said softly in my ear.

"I know how much you mean to me," I said back.

"Oh really and just how much do I mean to you?" he asked with a light chuckle.

"You mean…_everything_ to me."

"That's all? Just everything?"

"Every thing times infinity."

He laughed and we continued just enjoying each others company. Jacob meant so much to me, there wasn't a good enough description that could even capture what I felt for him. It went beyond any need or want, he was my necessity. He would be all that I would ever desire and all that would ever be essential to me.

"You are my heart and my soul," he whispered suddenly.

I broke away from his arms so I could turn around to face him. On my knees, I placed my hands on his shoulders to steady myself while I leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips. I started to pull away but the hand that was cradling my face pulled me in once again for a more urgent kiss. I broke away to look back into his eyes. The fear and worry had somehow crept back into them. As I tried to figure it out he looked out into the ocean as if to hide what his eyes were showing. I kept my gaze on his face trying to understand what could be bothering him so much? As I was about to ask, he looked back at me and gave me another kiss. It felt as though he was trying to distract me. I pulled away again and he frowned.

I bit my bottom lip trying to figure out the best way to approach the subject.

"There's something is going on with the pack isn't there?" I asked him.

He simply nodded.

"What is it? What's happening?"

He looked out into the water and then back at me.

"Why don't you lay down with me? We can watch the stars," he said lying down on the sand, putting his arm out for me to rest my head on.

I sighed but then layed down next to him anyway. He reached over with his other hand to brush a piece of hair out of my face and then tucked it behind my ear. I stared up at the stars. I was always amazed at how clear and bright they looked out here in La Push.

"The pack is growing," he finally started.

"I noticed."

"We can't figure out exactly why our numbers keep growing. Racheal already has 3 boys. Paul and her have only been married for 3 years."

"Birth control?"

"Doesn't seem to work apparently."

"The Quileute tribe is so big now we hardly fit in La Push. Apparently people are starting to notice," he continued. "Plus now, the young kids are starting to phase at an even earlier age. I feel like we must be preparing for something. Something bigger than protecting just the tribe and its people. Something like…a war."

I turned my head to him. I could feel my eyes get wide. A war? He had to be wrong. He turned his head back at me. His eyes traced my face as if he was looking to see what my reaction was.

He moved his body so he was on his side, facing me, with his head propped up on his hand.

"Its time my pack reunited."

I felt like I got the wind knocked out of me. I looked at him trying to take in the words he just said to me.

"Are you leaving me and moving back to La Push?" I choked out.

His eyes became distressed.

"Of course not," he said in disbelief of my question. "I could never leave you. You don't know how much I need you, especially now."

"You need me?"

"Nessie, there is a reason why we imprint. I don't think it's a coincidence that the best fighters are the ones who have imprinted."

"Really?"

"Yep."

I contemplated that for a moment. Was there something more to an imprint that just finding your perfect other half? I glanced up to see him still looking down at me.

"Why?"

"I don't know. The theory is that we fight with more passion because we have more to lose. There is a reason why the imprints don't age either. If something should ever happen to their imprint, even passing of old age, that warrior would become useless. He would be better off dead."

I gave him a curious look. I couldn't quite understand.

"Nessie, you fight differently for your people, for your land, or anything else for that matter. If you lose, you can recover. It might take a while, but eventually there is some sort of recovery. But when it comes down to the one you love, your other half, your soulmate, you fight harder. Because you know that if you lose and you fail to protect them, there is no way you could ever recover from that. Yes, the pack fights to protect its people but ultimately we fight to protect our imprints. The only time it's justified to kill another pack member is if they kill your imprint, whether it was intentionally or not. Imprints come first, everything else come second."

I looked at him with worried eyes. It suddenly felt like too much. The fate of my existence was so tightly wound with his. I knew then if I were to ever lose him all I would want was death as well. It was too painful to even fathom.

"At the meeting tomorrow, we are discussing the transition of moving my pack closer to me. Staying with your family has given me the advantage to know of any news first hand. I can alert Sam if there is new information he should know about. His pack will stay in La Push."

"But what about Quil? What about Claire? You can't think her parents are going to be okay with Quil taking her with him."

"Nessie, I'm not planning on uprooting everyone immediately. It will have to be over time. I think that whatever we are preparing for, won't happen for a while. But I have to start making plans and prepare now. Quil will stay with Sam's pack until Claire is older. When the time is right, they will move to join us."

"Do you think this all might tie in with what Alice is seeing with the Volturi?" I asked.

"I don't see any other possible explanation," he said quietly.

It felt like my world was becoming stranger and more frightening with every breath I took. Something was going to happen, that was a certainty. But what would be the consequences of it. What would I lose?

I had never felt this way before. My life before this moment now felt like a pleasant dream I once had but could never relive. I felt urgency course its way through my body. It came so unexpectantly that I immediately grabbed for Jacob's face and pulled him down for a kiss. I kissed him hard, trying to memorize every moment of what it felt like to have his lips on mine. His arms pulled me into him so close I could feel the intense warmth of his chest.

"Don't ever leave me," I whispered onto his lips.

"We will never be apart," he whispered back onto mine.

~*~*~*~

The next day I spent lounging around with Claire watching her favorite movies while concentrating on what was being said in the dining room. The pack was discussing the plans for the future. I could hear Jacob tell them what had been going on with Volturi.

"I think it would be best if Seth and Leah came back with me tomorrow," I heard Jacob say quietly.

"Jake, that doesn't make that much sense. He is in his last semester. At least let him finish," Leah said.

My stomach tightened. Even I knew her concern was not really over Seth's education. It was not like he couldn't finish it at a college closer to where we lived and he certainly wasn't getting any older. I knew it made her very uncomfortable to be near my family. She still had some resentment towards them. I was the only one who she was nice to.

"Leah, its fine. This is more important," Seth said.

"So where are we going to live then?" she asked.

"There are extra rooms in the pool house that I'm living in. I have already discussed this with the Cullens and they are okay with the new arrangement."

"But- "

"Leah, I need you with me," Jacob cut her off. "Please Leah. I already feel horrible about uprooting my pack. But right now, you and Seth are the only mobile ones out of the group. You have no imprints or children. The others are just too young and not controlled enough."

I felt myself cringe ever so slightly. I knew how much it bothered Leah over the years to not have an imprint. Especially when so many of the pack did. I'm sure she was under the impression that it wasn't meant to be with her. However, I knew Seth still had hope.

I glanced at Claire who was watching the TV. I wondered what she would be like in ten years. I almost wished I had her innocence and got to grow up normally. I was suddenly overcome with a feeling of injustice. I wished I could still be young and not know what was going on in the other room. I had a sudden urgency to sit next to her and pull her in my arms to say enjoy life now. Enjoy being young and oblivious. The world is too scary.

My phone suddenly rang so I pulled it out of my pocket. It was Annabel. Perfect timing! I needed something to bring me up from my mood.

"Hi Annabel," I said.

"Hey. How's it going over there in Forks?"

"Cloudy and dreary."

"Sounds just like home."

I laughed.

"So, how is Christian doing?" I asked her.

"Um…well… okay I guess."

"Just okay?"

"Well… so I know I said I was going to wait to tell him but I ended up telling him everything last night."

"What? Let me get this straight, you told him about you? About what you can do?"

"Yep."

I paused for a second. I got a bad feeling that it wasn't a good idea to tell him.

"How did the subject come up?"

"I don't really remember to tell you the truth. We were telling each other how much we meant to one another, you know all that gushy stuff. Then out of nowhere I had this sudden urge to, I don't know, prove how much I loved him by telling him who or what I really am. So I told him."

"And he?"

"Didn't believe me. Thought I was joking at first. But than I showed him."

"You _showed_ him?"

"I cut my arm with a knife and let him watch me heal. It freaked him out..._a lot_."

"So then what happened?"

"I tried to explain everything but he said he just needed some time. He took me home and I haven't heard from him since."

I was silent for awhile because I didn't know what to say. I kept opening my mouth to say something but nothing that was going to come out sounded good.

"I'm sorry, Annabel," was all I could think of.

"It's not your fault. It was stupid of me to think he would be okay with this. I guess I was just tired of never really being me around a guy. I just really wanted someone to fall in love with, who knew everything about me, all of my secrets, like you and Jake. I can't keep living for hundreds of years and never finding that right guy? There has got to be someone out there? My chances should be higher, right?"

I heard her sigh over the phone.

"Maybe he does just need some time. It's a lot to take in," I tried to reassure her.

"I guess your right. I'll just give it some time. But what if he can't accept it? What if he ends up telling someone?"

"Well, who is really going to believe him?"

"I guess you're right."

"And either way, you know I'm here. My family and I would never let anything bad happen to you."

"I know. I'm not sure if I told you this, but I'm so happy that I have you in my life."

I laughed.

"Me too.

"Well I better let you go before this conversation becomes any cornier."

"Okay, I'll call you when I get back in town."

"Sounds good."

~*~*~*~*~

I was in a dark, cold room. I didn't know how I got there or why my eyes would not stop shedding tears. I was dreadfully afraid, but I didn't know of what. I spun around the room with no luck on finding a door. Just 4 bare walls with no exit. I banged on them, yelling for someone to help me. Where was I? When all efforts failed I pulled myself to a corner and held my knees tightly against my chest. I was sobbing, wishing I could see my family…wishing Jacob was here to save me. I could hear something outside the room. I pressed my ear on the wall. It was someone screaming. It got louder and louder. A blood curdling scream that made my whole body shudder. Soon it was so loud that I covered my ears and tried to block the horrific sound. It would not relent, only getting more terrifying and horrendous. I could not stand just listening, so I started to scream with them.

I felt someone gently try to shake me awake. My eyes shot open. I was breathing hard, clutching on to the bed sheets so tight that my knuckles turned white.

"Nessie, wake up," I heard Jacob say softly.

I immediately turned to my other side and sat up to find Jacob sitting on my bed. His eyes looked very concerned as he watched me.

"Jesus, Nessie. You are going to wake up the whole house," he said.

I lifted one eyebrow at him not knowing what he was talking about. He rolled his eyes.

"You started screaming in your sleep. You're lucky I was already listening to you."

"Listening to me?"

"No-one ever told you that you talk in your sleep?" he asked.

"Um… that would be a no," I said in astonishment. I talked in my sleep? How come no one ever told me?

"Must have been your mom's idea, she probably just didn't want you to be embarrassed in front of the family. She used to talk in her sleep all the time. You only started doing it this past year."

I looked up at him and frowned. This was not delightful news. What have I been saying in my sleep for the past year? I cringed with embarrassment.

"Did you have another nightmare?" he asked as he pushed my hair behind my shoulder.

I nodded. I hoped he wouldn't ask me what it was about.

"Was I there? Did I save you?"

I pulled the corner of my mouth up into a crooked smile.

"No," I said. "Not this time."

"Well then, you should have known it was dream from the very beginning. In what reality would I never be there to save you?"

I smiled. I remembered that Jacob had always been with me, at every point in my life. But would there ever be a time when we would be separated? I looked at him as he motioned for me to get tucked back into bed. I slid back down underneath my sheets.

"Are you going to be okay for the rest of the night?" he said as he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

I didn't want him to leave, at least not yet. I bit my lower lip trying to think of a reason for him to stay.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm afraid the nightmares might come back," I tried to say innocently. I knew that if I had to, I could fall asleep again. But this sounded like a good, legitimate excuse.

He looked into eyes like he was searching for something. Possibly any sign that I might be lying? He was probably very surprised at my admittance that I was scared. Very rarely would I ever admit that I was frightened.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes, will you please stay here tonight?"

"I don't know Nessie. I'm not sure if that is a great idea."

I bit my bottom lip. When would we ever have the opportunity to really be together, without my father around to read my mind. Or inconvenieced by the other members of my family who just happen to never sleep and can hear everything?

"Please?" I whispered.

He sat contemplating the idea. I gave him a few moments to think it over. I saw his will power starting to slowly crumble, so I pulled the sheets down trying to tempt him more to get in.

He looked at the bed and then at me.

"When we go back to Forks you have to promise me you won't think of tonight," he said very seriously. I knew what he meant. If I thought about it while my father was in the vicinity that would be huge trouble for both of us.

I nodded adamantly.

I watched him climb into the bed and I lifted my head so he could put his arm underneath it. I turned my body to snuggle closer to him, resting my head on his chest and wrapping my arm around his waist. I loved the way he smelled and took a deep breath. He took his hand and started to trace his fingers across my arm. His fingers tickled as they grazed against my skin, leaving goose bumps. I pushed myself slightly up so that my head was right next to his. I watched him look up at the ceiling.

"What are you thinking?" I whispered.

He smiled as he turned his head towards me. Our faces were so close, just barely touching. My breath caught when I noticed how close his lips were to mine. Before I could even take a breath, his lips found mine. My lips slightly parted as he traced them with the tip of his tongue.

"You taste good," he said.

My heart was beating so hard, I felt embarrassed knowing how loud it must be. I started to get nervous realizing that this was the closest we have ever been. The possibilities of being this close were endless. We never had the luxury of privacy. I felt almost paralyzed. I couldn't move any part of my body. All I could do was lay there, watch him in awe and let him have his way with me.

He turned to his side so that he was facing me. He traced my spine with the tips of his fingers. I shivered as he went past the edge of my shirt down my lower back. He grazed his thumb over the bare area. He pressed his forehead against mine.

"I love you Nessie."

"I love you too," I managed to choke out.

My heart stopped as he put his palm under my shirt and pressed it against my back to pull me tighter to him. My lips found his and I kissed him desperately. Somehow I regained control of my hand and ran it up his arm, noting that my hand was considerably smaller than his bicep. My hand continued its way to the back of his neck and I pulled myself tighter to him. I felt his tongue lightly find mine and I lost all control of my body. Without knowing what my body was doing, I wrapped my leg around him, hitching it over his waist.

His lips grazed across my cheek and then started making its way to my neck. I inhaled sharply as his lips felt so good there. My leg tried to squeeze him closer.

"Nessie," he moaned against my skin.

He found my mouth again but only gave me soft kisses. I frowned because I wanted more, I wasn't ready to stop.

"Please," I whispered.

"I can't. I'll lose control," he whispered back.

"I'm fine with that."

"I won't want to stop."

"I hope you don't."

He chuckled as he tried to shift my body, so I was no longer holding him there with my leg. He lay down on his back, bringing me close to his chest.

"Sleep Nessie. We have all of eternity to explore each other," he said.

I frowned. I wouldn't have minded going on an expedition tonight, but he was right. Eternity to explore him did sound very nice. It was fun fantasizing of the possibilities.

I felt his lips press against my forehead.

Whatever was going on with the pack, the Volturi, Annabel or the world temporarily left my mind. Right now, in this moment, lying in bed with Jacob, everything was perfect.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter.  Please review and let me know what you thought of it!  I will send out a teaser from the next chapter if you do!  Thanks again!!!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Just wanted to say thank you so much for the wonderful reviews!! They are awesome to read and really get me motivated to keep on writing. A special thanks to **Z** for Beta-ing this story. You are awesome!! **

**I apologize on how long it took me to post this next chapter, but I am still without a computer. I'm writing whenever I can borrow a computer. I hope all of you enjoy this next chapter. **

* * *

"They are calling it the Carlisle movement," my mother said. Her eyes lit up as she spoke.

I was pushing pieces of fish around my plate when I looked up at her. I still couldn't believe my Grandpa Charlie had really made me a pack of frozen fish to take home. But here I was, unfortunately, eating it or rather, making it look like I was. I'm sure Esme did a good job cooking it, as I watched Jacob, Seth and Leah scarf down all the food in front of them, but human food never was that appealing to me…especially fish.

"Carlisle movement?" I asked.

"They are more vampires who are following our vegetarian lifestyle, wanting to preserve human life and wanting to become more civilized. I couldn't believe it when I heard. Apparently, it's spreading fast throughout North America."

As I looked around the room I noticed not everyone shared my mother's enthusiasm. My father and Jasper especially.

"Really?"

"Yes. And there are also more of them who are integrating themselves with humans," my father said quietly. He was sitting across the table looking beyond me out the window. His face was distant in thought, his brows furrowed together with worry. I looked over to Jasper who also wore the same expression.

"This family was always unique to our kind," my father continued. "Even the Denali clan did not integrate with humans as much as we do. But the more vampires try out our lifestyle, the more opportunities there are for…accidents.

Seth suddenly looked up from his plate. His face had a look of concern. Leah continued to glare into the table. I could tell she was uncomfortable sitting here, while Seth on the other hand was already comfortable with everything, already acting as one of the family.

"Why the sudden change? Why does everyone want to follow this lifestyle now?" I asked.

"Word has spread about our confrontation with the Volturi. There are talks of how strong our family bond is and also how powerful we have become. I believe most are seeking the strength that comes with that family bond or just a more civilized lifestyle. Only a few really care for preserving human life," Jasper said.

"Shouldn't we be happy? Less people will die now," Jacob said after swallowing his last bite of the fish.

"I really would like to be," Carlisle said as he took a seat at the table. "But it seems that this may be a catalyst of something unfortunate. Alice, have you seen anything else?"

"No," Alice said from in the kitchen. "All I see is that they have seriously increased recruiting, trying to find someone who might be able to trump Bella's power. They are sending…recruiters all over the world. They don't like this new lifestyle some vampires are choosing. It scares them. I think they want to completely wipe us out…they just don't know how."

Silence fell over the table. Everyone either looking at the table or at their loved ones.

Esme came walking in with Alice holding a stack of magazines and books. By her expression I could tell that she had thought of a new project to work on around the house. It was nice to see her smile. Her effort to change the emotion of the room went not without notice. I saw Carlisle force a smile and the others soon followed his example.

"Seth and Leah, since your stay will be a little more permanent, Alice and I would like to make your living arrangements more comfortable," Esme said as she put down all of the books and magazines on the dining room table. Seth picked one up, already thumbing through it.

"Its okay, Esme. You really don't need to do anything for us. We don't need any special treatment," Leah said.

"Please, I want you to feel more at home."

Leah slightly flinched. I knew our house could not be further down her list of places to call home.

"Leah, you really would be doing Esme a favor. She has been anxiously looking for a new project to do," my mother said.

"I have a perfect idea for a new walk in closet for your room," Alice said grabbing one of the books and thumbing through it quickly, finding the picture she already knew was there, a picture of a large walk-in closet. She turned the book over so that Leah could see. "There will be so much space; we will have to go shopping to fill it up!"

Leah's eyebrows perked up. I knew she couldn't help the idea that a new wardrobe to fill her new closet did sound pleasing. She nodded and picked up the book Alice was showing her.

"The Denali clan should be coming in the next few days. Everyone else should be trickling in the next week. There is much to do and discuss," Carlisle said.

"How come they didn't come back with you?" Jacob asked.

"Well, since we can't reach everyone via telephone, they are going to visit more people to inform them about our gathering before coming here, sort of like a calling tree…without the calling."

I rolled my eyes. Really? Is it so hard to carry a cell phone?

I heard my father sigh. He must have heard what I was thinking.

"I think we are going to need to invest in cell phones. They are just going to have to learn to embrace technology," my father said standing up to walk over to the computer.

The rest of the evening was spent sharing stories of our weekend. Jacob went into further detail about the Quileute population problem and his possible theories, while I talked about my Grandpa Charlie. I could tell my mom was delighted to hear about him. I sat down next to her and placed my hand on her arm. I closed my eyes and tried to remember everything of this weekend to show her. I knew it was nicer for her to actually see her father than hear about him. I also showed her some parts of the beach party and carefully avoided my private moments with Jacob. My father snorted when I showed her Mike Newton. She just laughed and shook her head.

~*~*~*~

The next morning, I was back in school. My classes seem to fly by me as my thoughts were focused on the latest news. I looked around at the students as they went about their day carefree, unaware of what is real and what is make believe. I should be happy that more vampires are looking at other ways to sustain themselves rather than taking human lives. It was nice to dream that one day humans could exist knowing about the mystical creatures around them and maybe everyone could live peacefully with each other. But it seemed impossible to imagine that now. With more vampires integrating with the humans, I couldn't wrap my head around what cost people would be paying. Would someone lose a daughter just because a vampire decided to try high school but couldn't make it? What other human would be lost? A mother? A friend?

"Why the scowl?" I heard Annabel say as she sat down next to me. I hadn't realized I was in my Home Economics class and what was more disturbing was that I didn't know how I got there. Jacob probably thought I was a zombie today.

"Huh? Oh," I said shaking my head. "You know…just deep in thought."

"Anything interesting?" she asked.

"No, not really," I lied.

"So tell me about your weekend? Was it nice seeing Jacob's family?"

"It was a lot of fun. So much that we actually brought some of that fun back home."

"Really?" She said as she cocked her head to the side.

"Yeah. Seth and Leah from Jacob's tribe in La Push are living with us for a while. They are moving into the pool house."

"Wow…sounds like a party."

I laughed. The amount of people living at our house seemed ridiculous. It was practically a small village.

"Actually, you'd really like Seth. He's a lot of fun."

"What about Leah? What is she like?"

"Um…more reserved I guess." I didn't really know how to describe her.

"So when can I meet them?" she asked.

"Maybe this week. I have to ask my parents. Let me check with them to make sure it's okay."

I wasn't sure if my parents, or family for that matter, would mind if she hung out at the house, especially when we may have visitors coming by.

"Cool I'm excited to meet people from Jacob's…tribe."

We started working on making chocolate chip cookies. I was leaning over the counter watching Annabel mix the ingredients. She seemed deep in thought when a smile flashed over her face suddenly. She shook her head and turned her expression serious, only to break out into another smile a moment later.

"What's that smile for?" I asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking about Christian," she said as she blushed.

"Really? So is everything okay?"

"He called me Saturday night and asked to come over."

"Did he come over?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at her.

"Yep. He ended up apologizing for freaking out. I mean…I guess if I was in his position I would have too. He said he couldn't stand losing me and that he still wants to be together."

I smiled at her, hoping to see the same response. But it was like her thoughts had shifted and suddenly she seemed distant.

"Are you happy?" I asked.

"Yes, of course. I finally have someone in my life who knows me completely."

"That's what you want, right?"

She was still looking past me, still distracted by her own thoughts. Her eyes turned to meet mine and she slowly nodded.

The rest of the hour continued while I went on about the party in La Push and the rest of my weekend. I was getting excited to introduce Annabel to Seth and Leah. I knew they would like her instantly. Everybody liked her instantly. I didn't know one person in this school who had any bad thoughts of her. My circle really only consisted of my family, her and occasionally her group of friends. I admired how easily she floated through several different groups, able to be friends with almost everyone. I sort of felt smug that our friendship was the closest compared to the rest.

The bell rang as Annabel and I finished cleaning up. I was wrapping up the cookies on the plate to take home when I felt a warm palm cover my eyes.

"Guess who?" The voice spoke quietly as they leaned down into my ear. I knew it was Jacob, I could hear him coming down the hall only moments earlier.

"Hmm…I'm hoping its Mike Newton," I said teasingly.

He immediately took his hands away and I spun around to look at him rolling his eyes. I grinned back at him.

"Very funny, Nessie."

He picked me up in a flash and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"I missed you," he said.

"We've only been apart for a couple of hours," I laughed.

"Really? It seemed like forever to me."

His eyes immediately grazed over the cookies. I sighed and pushed them over to him.

"Thanks," he said grabbing a couple and immediately started eating them.

"Hi, Annabel. How are you doing today?" Jacob said in between bites.

"Good. Thanks for asking. I heard you guys had a great weekend."

"Yeah, it was nice to visit home. Did Nessie tell you about Leah and Seth moving in with the Cullens?"

"Yep, can't wait to meet them."

"Are you joining us for lunch today?" I asked Annabel.

"Yeah…I'd like that."

"Great!" I said as I put my arm around her shoulders. I went to grab the plate and realized that it was empty.

"Jake did you really just eat all of the cookies?" I asked him in disbelief. I hadn't noticed him eating them that fast.

"Oops," he said as he shrugged his shoulders flashing a grin.

~*~*~*~

Throughout lunch my family tried to start up conversations with Annabel but I could tell her head was elsewhere. After the few attempts of small talk failed, my family continued to prattle on about insignificant topics and tried to leave her to her thoughts. I saw my father's concerned face as he glanced at her. I reached for his arm under the table. My father looked at me and sighed. I focused on Annabel's thoughts. She was remembering memories of Saturday night.

"_I'm so sorry Annabel. I should not have reacted that way," Christian said as he looked to the ground. They were in her kitchen at her house and Christian was leaning against the counter top. _

"_It's okay…I mean… I know this part of me would be hard to accept. I'm just glad to see you again."_

_He looked over to her and bit his bottom lip. He looked like he wanted to say more or just didn't know what to say next._

"_The thing is…well…the immortality aspect…it…bothered me," he continued._

"_Bothered you?" _

_I could feel Annabel's heart sink. Her greatest fear was that he would not be able to accept her. She had never let herself become this close to someone before and was terrified of being rejected. _

"_I mean…with you being immortal, what is that going to mean for us? Are you going to be okay staying with me as I get older and older? Would you still want to be with me, even when I'm an old man?" he asked._

"_Of course, Christian. I don't care about those things! I love you! There is nothing in this world I want more than to be with you," she said her voice wavering on pleading. Annabel cringed at the way she sounded, hoping not to sound too desperate._

_Christian took a deep breath._

"_So when I get old and die…you keep on living?"_

"_If I could die, I would but I can't figure out how. I really wish I could. If I knew how, I would have been dead long ago."_

"_Would you fall in love again?"_

"_I know what I feel for you; I know I won't feel that way for anyone else."_

_She glanced back up at him to find a frown on his face, his eyebrows furrowed together. _

"_I'm trying to be honest, Christian," she continued. "You know you are the only guy I've ever told my secret to. I never loved anyone as much as I love you."_

_Annabel walked over to him and placed her hand on his cheek. He placed his hand over hers._

"_I love you Christian. We may not have forever together, but we have now. I've lived a long time never letting anyone touch my heart. But miraculously you touched mine. I'd like to love you for as long as I can."_

_Annabel leaned into him. She looked up at his face as he pressed his forehead against hers._

"_All I know is I can't lose you," he whispered._

"_You won't, I promise. For as long as you are alive, you will always have my heart."_

"_You will always have mine. Even after death."_

_He turned his head slightly and placed a soft kiss on her lips. _

Her thoughts continued on about Christian. She was trying to figure out her relationship with him. If she could kill herself, would she do it? How could she kill herself? Is there away to make him immortal? She looked over to my mom and Emmett. She knew that my father and Rosalie had changed them into vampires so that they could keep them forever. Her thoughts started to take a desperate turn. She was thinking about asking my family to change him. Thankfully she shook the thought from her head. She couldn't ask them to do that…immortality seemed like a curse to her.

Her eyes were still focused on the table while she slowly ate the rest of her sandwich. I looked up at my father and I silently asked him if I could invite her over for dinner to meet Seth and Leah. I wanted to cheer her up.

"Annabel, why don't you come over for dinner?" my father asked her for me.

She looked up from her sandwich and looked at me. I nodded my head and kept my eyes bright, trying to show her how much I wanted her to come over. She smiled at me.

"Sure. Will Esme be making something Italian?" she said as her eyes lit up. I knew Esme's Italian cooking was Annabel's favorite.

"I'm sure she will," my mother said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annabel came over right after school. She had asked me to drive her to my house from school so that Christian could pick her up after dinner. He wanted to hang out with her for a little bit before she went to bed. When we got through the door, I asked Esme where Leah and Seth were. She had said that they had gone out in the woods. Jacob left us to go get them.

My father went to the piano while my mother sat on the lounge chair to read a book. Alice went into the kitchen to help Esme with the cooking and Jasper stayed in the kitchen to chat. I heard Rosalie and Emmett make their way to the garage. Carlisle was still at the hospital and would be home in time for dinner. Annabel and I headed up to my room and started on homework. She lay on my bed while I worked on the floor.

"Hey Nessie?"

I looked up to her to find her chewing on her pen.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I was just wondering…how does one become a vampire?"

I heard my father pause what he had been playing. He must have heard Annabel's question…everyone must have heard. I debated on whether or not to tell her but I figured if she was still considering that path for Christian, I should tell her the truth…the good and the bad.

"Um…a vampire's saliva is venomous. That venom has to enter the body for the change to be made. But it's very difficult for vampire to change a human."

"Why?"

"Well, when a vampire tastes blood, frenzy starts. It's very hard for them to stop before…"

"They die?"

"Right."

She frowned slightly. She turned back to her book and started reading again.

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I've just been thinking about things with Christian. Maybe he would want to be immortal…so that we could be together forever."

I stood up and sat next to her on the bed.

"Annabel, that's a huge decision to make. I mean, he would have to want to become a vampire before we could change him. And he would have to know everything he would be losing, like his family and friends."

She nodded. "I know. It was just a thought."

"You should also know that they change is very painful. It is the strongest human memory for all of my family members. And it lasts for about three days."

"Painful?"

"Yes. I've heard it described like you are being burned alive."

She swallowed.

"Oh."

"If he was to change, Annabel, he might not be able to be around you in the beginning. It might be years for him to be able to adjust and be with you. Plus, he may not want to live our vegetarian lifestyle."

"Why?"

"The blood lust will be so strong; he might not be able to control himself. He might want to…kill you. Every vampire is different. My mom was able to control it right away. But we are not sure if that ability was a gift or just her being very educated on what she was going to become. She recognized what she was feeling and was able to control her urges before they overtook her. It's too risky…even though you can heal. He could drain you completely."

We sat in silence for a few moments. I moved back down to the floor since she was still trying to take in everything that I had just said.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked Annabel.

"Sure."

"What does it feel like to…heal?"

A bright smile flashed across her face.

"It feels wonderful. I can feel a sort of light…maybe it's the person's soul, I'm not quite sure. Some people have souls that are brighter than others while some may be darker. You and your family have one of the most brilliant lights. That's why I sat down next to you that second day of class in our home economics class. I knew I had to get to know you."

"Really?"

"Yes and when I heal, it's like I can move that light to the injured part. If someone is dying, the light feels fainter, but somehow through my palms my body is able to pull it back."

My eyes were bright as she was describing.

"I wish I could heal like you," I said.

Annabel jumped off the bed and sat next to me on the floor.

"You said you can borrow powers right?"

"Yes."

"Try to see if you can with mine."

I swallowed and looked at her with weary eyes.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

She held her palms up and nodded.

"Try."

I slowly raised my hands up and placed my palms against hers. I closed my eyes to concentrate. Suddenly a feeling I couldn't describe came over me as a wave of warmth illuminated my palms. It was like I was touching light, without a bulb to light up or a sun to shine. It was just light…a warm bright light. I opened my eyes and Annabel was staring back at me.

"Can you feel it?" She asked.

"Wow."

"I know."

She pulled her palms away and I slightly frowned. She giggled as she noticed my expression.

I could smell the spices cooking all the way to my room.

"Come. Let's help Esme and Alice downstairs."

~*~*~*~

I could hear Alice and Annabel chatting in the kitchen while I set the table in the dining room. It was good that we had such a large dining table since it had to fit 13 people, even though only four and half would be eating tonight. I counted myself as half, since I would probably only push my food around my plate, taking few bites to make Annabel more comfortable. Hopefully Jacob would take me out hunting afterward. I heard a rustling coming out from the woods. Jacob, Seth and Leah are almost home.

I went to meet them in the pool house. I sat on kitchen counter waiting for them to come through the doors.

"Hey Nessie," Seth said. He was wearing only sweatpants when he came in. He was followed in by Jacob, also wearing just pants and Leah, who was in a black tank top and shorts.

"Hi Seth. Ready for dinner?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, I could smell it a mile away. I'm starving!"

Leah went straight for her room and I could hear the shower turn on.

Jacob came over to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm going to get changed," he said as he made his way to his room.

I looked over to find Seth still hanging around the counter.

"Aren't you going to get changed?" I asked him.

"You mean I can't go like this?"

"Um, no. That might make Annabel uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable in a good way?" he said with a grin.

"She has a boyfriend, Seth," I said as I rolled my eyes at him.

He laughed as he made his way to his room.

Five minutes later Seth and Jacob were ready to go, however Leah was still in the shower. Jake came over to me and grabbed my hand. He took my hand and placed it on his cheek. I could feel my chest tighten as I looked into his intense eyes. I loved moments like these. We didn't have to say anything to each other.

"Ugh…I'll see you guys at the house," I heard Seth say as he walked out the door.

Jacob chuckled then leaned over to give me a quick kiss on the lips.

"Will you take me out hunting later?" I asked.

"You've already decided you're not going to eat dinner?"

"I'll have a few bites, I guess."

"We'll see."

I sighed but jumped off the counter.

"Should we wait for Leah?" I asked.

"Nah, she takes forever to get ready."

We walked across the backyard back to the house. As I opened the French doors, I found Seth peering through the doorway of the kitchen. He stood very still watching what was going on in the kitchen.

"You know you're allowed to go into kitchen, Seth." Jacob said as we came up behind him. When I walked up next to him, I looked up at his face. He had a weird goofy look on his face. It was like he was staring at something amazing…something he couldn't peal his eyes away from. I slowly followed the path to what he was staring at. The moment my eyes fell on Annabel, I felt Jacob squeeze my hand. She had not noticed Seth or his staring. She was sitting at a chair at the kitchen island mixing the salad together, humming to herself.

I quickly looked back at Seth. _Oh!! _Was the only thing my mind could come up with.

"Is that Annabel?" Seth asked so quietly I was sure that no human could hear.

"Yes."

"I love her," he said like he was simply stating a fact.

"I know," Jake sighed. He put one hand on his shoulder.

Just then I heard Leah walk up. She saw us just standing there and gave us a questioning look but as her eyes set on Seth…somehow, she knew. I could see the hurt in her eyes as they glazed over with tears. Jacob turned to take a step to her.

"Leah…" he said.

She shook her head.

"I'm fine," she struggled to say. "Really. I'm happy for him."

Jacob took a few more steps towards her but she held out her hand to tell him to stop.

"Please," she said. "I just need to be alone for a bit."

She took a few steps backwards before she turned and walked away. I went over to Jacob and grabbed his hand, both of us silent as we watched Leah start to shake as she walked into the forest.

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**I know a lot of you are probably pretty happy!! Please review and I will send you a teaser of the next chapter. Thanks again for taking interest in this story!**


	19. Chapter 19

**I thought it was fitting that I am posting the this chapter on the eve of the Twilight movie release…I already saw it! It was SOOO good. I loved it! I'll probably see it again…and again. So I hope everyone else see it again and again too because I really want to see what they do with New Moon and Eclipse. So anyways, here is chapter 19! **

**Thank you to Z who has been an awesome beta. You make my story better! You are amazing!**

**Thank you also to the great people who wrote me really nice reviews. I love reading them! Keep it up!**

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Dinner was extremely awkward and weird. It was weird because my whole family was extraordinarily happy, especially considering the last few weeks' circumstances. My father and Carlisle were exceptionally blissful. As each one entered the dining room, the both took to picking me up in a tight hug and twirling around the room. Annabel was exceptionally surprised when they did the same to her. As Carlisle placed Annabel back down on the ground, she turned her head and for the first time laid eyes on Seth. I watched her eyes go wide as he stared back at her with the same infatuation.

What made dinner _extremely awkward_ was Seth's intense staring at Annabel. As everyone started to eat, my family members kept trying to get Seth's attention. This proved increasingly difficult because of the constant attention he was giving Annabel. Annabel would frequently catch his stare, blush and look back down at her food. The moments that someone was able to peal Seth's eyes away, Annabel took the opportunity to gaze at him. Jacob kept looking out the window of the dining room; I'm sure worrying about Leah.

"Seth, are you planning on attending classes at the local college?" Carlisle asked.

I looked at Seth who was once again was dreamily looking at Annabel. I sighed and I pushed a noodle around. My thoughts were about Christian… poor Christian. Was Annabel going to dump him? Would he be okay? What is she going to do? He knows her secret.

"Seth?" Carlisle said as he attempted to get his attention.

"Huh?" Seth said.

"Are you planning on attending classes at the local college?"

"Oh...um…probably."

I looked over at Annabel who stared intensely at Seth while he spoke.

"I was thinking of going back next year for the winter semester," he said and continued to look back at Annabel who again caught his gaze, resulting in her eyes dropping back to her plate.

"What is your major?" Jasper asked.

Seth continued to stare.

"Seth?" Jasper asked again.

"Um…what?" Seth said as he slowly moved his eyes away from Annabel, as if it hurt him to do so.

"What are you majoring in?"

"Business Administration," he said simply and quickly brought back his eyes on Annabel.

This went on throughout dinner. The parts of my family that didn't eat human food, sat at the table discussing the events of that day, while the rest of us ate. I made sure to take a bite every time Annabel looked at me, but I hoped Jake would take me out later tonight. As we finished desert I could hear a car coming down our long drive.

_Is that Christian? _I asked my father in my head. He gave me a small nod.

I figured it was best if Annabel met Christian outside. It probably would not make him feel good if he saw the way Seth stared at his girlfriend, or the way that she stared back at him for that matter.

"Hey Annabel, I hear Christian coming to get you. Let's wait outside for him," I said sliding out of my chair and trying to usher her out of the dining room and out of the house. When I looked at her eyes, they suddenly became wide as if she just remembered Christian.

"Oh, yes. I should wait outside for him," she said quietly. She stood out of her chair and walked with me to the door, but not without one last longing look at Seth.

Seth got out of his chair too, set to follow Annabel, but Jake caught him by the shoulder and sat him back down.

"Not now, Seth," my father said quietly.

Seth stopped only to sigh. As I turned to shut the door, I gave Seth an apologetic look. It probably hurt him to watch her leave with someone else… especially because that someone else was her boyfriend. I could hear Christian's car coming closer.

"Thank you for coming over for dinner, Annabel," I said. I looked at her as she seemed to just snap out of her daze.

"Yes, thank you so much. It was wonderful. Tell your family I had a great time. I really enjoyed meeting…_Seth_," she said as she lingered on his name.

"It's a shame you didn't meet Leah. Maybe next time?"

"Definitely!" She said with more enthusiasm than I was expecting. Probably thinking she would see Seth then too.

As the car pulled up, Christian rolled down the window to say hello. Annabel slowly made her way into the car and I waved goodbye. I couldn't imagine what was going on in her thoughts. I turned back into the house. As I opened the door I heard Seth pleading with my father.

"Come on, Edward. You have to give me something," Seth said.

"Seth, I just don't feel comfortable telling you her private thoughts."

"I just want to know if she could feel it too."

I walked over and sat back down at the table next to Jacob. He gave me a small smile and rubbed my back.

"Seth, I think everyone knows she has the hots for you. You don't need Edward's mind reading abilities to know that," Emmett said chuckling as he stood up from the table.

"Nice, Emmett," Rosalie said as she followed him out of the room.

Seth sat at the table beaming. I don't think anyone could ruin his mood. His smile was bright on his face.

"I'm going to check on Leah. Seth, you coming?" Jake asked.

"Sure. I feel like running," he said as he was already out of the door.

Jake turned to me and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. He always made sure any PDAs were at a strict minimum around my parents. He gave my hand a light squeeze.

"I'll see you in the morning?" he asked.

"Of course. I'll meet you at the car."

He mouthed 'love you' before he was out the door following after Seth. I looked back at the table to the rest of my family members who had stayed: my parents, Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Jasper.

"Well…that was a crazy night, huh?" I said trying to break the silence.

My father chuckled.

"Why are you two in such a happy mood?" I asked my father and Carlisle as I pointed to them.

"It's what Annabel said while you guys were in your room," my mother said as she looked to my father. "I'm not surprised though, I always knew we had a soul."

"You questioned whether or not we had souls?" I asked my father. Though my family was never particularly religious, I had always assumed they believed that there was something in the afterlife…a heaven or a hell. I was surprised that it was ever speculated that we didn't have souls.

"There was a time when I had doubts. But when I met your mother, she helped me change my beliefs and then we had you, I couldn't deny it. How could someone who had no soul make an angel?"

I smiled at my parents.

"Do you think that that is what she is really feeling…the light…our souls?" Esme asked.

"I don't know. But it's truly amazing either way," Carlisle said.

I looked at Alice whose eyebrows were furrowed together. She looked up to see me watching her with a curious eye. She shrugged.

"Annabel's future just got lost. I guess we know what that means," she said.

I sighed. As much as I wanted to be happy for Annabel and Seth, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Christian. She had just promised her love to him, only now having to take it back. What would she say? 'I thought I really loved you… at the time, I just hadn't met Seth yet'. Remembering Annabel's memories, I could tell how attached Christian was. Yes, he had faulted a little when she told him who she really was, but in the end he accepted everything about her…maybe even fell more in love with her. This was going to break him to pieces…just like it had done to Leah.

~*~*~*~

The next day, I woke up to snow. As I peaked outside my window in my bedroom I scowled at the small white balls of cotton that fell from the sky. Jacob could never understand why I disliked snow and I never understood why he liked it. He never won any of the snowball fights that we had…mostly because he just couldn't make a proper snow ball since they always melted in his hand before he could throw them. I personally saw snow as an inconvenience. People drove slower on the snow cover streets.

I found Annabel with her head down on the desk, quietly snoring, as I walked into our Home Economics class room. I sat next to her and gave her a couple of pokes on the shoulder. Her eyes fluttered awake as she lifted her head up. She yawned and smiled at me with sleepy eyes.

"Why so tired?" I asked.

"I didn't get much sleep last night."

"How come?"

"Um….just a late night," she shrugged and looked away from me.

She was lying and I was a little hurt that she was lying to _me_. I knew exactly what had kept her up all night…Seth. I didn't even need Jacob to tell me where Seth was last night. It was quite suspicious when Jacob and Leah were the only ones to came home at 11pm and then waking up to Seth whistling as he made his way back home at 4am. It wasn't hard now to put the pieces together.

"Just a late night?" I questioned again, raising my eyebrow at her.

"Yep," she said still not looking at me in the eye. She grabbed her pencil and started to quickly tap it on the desk.

I took a deep breath and looked at her as she stared straight ahead to the front of the classroom. I debated for a minute whether or not to call her on it. But before I made a decision the words already left my mouth.

"I know you were with Seth," I whispered softly. As I said this, her pencil that she was tapping suddenly flew from her hand and hit a boy in the head that was sitting across the room.

"Sorry Jared!" she said as she walked over to his desk to grab her pencil back. She walked back to our desk and plopped back down.

"I…it was nothing. I was out in my backyard sitting on the deck and all of a sudden he was there. We spent the whole night talking…nothing more. I mean... I have a boyfriend," she said.

"I know you have a boyfriend."

"I know."

"But you haven't thought of him once since you met Seth, have you?"

She looked down at the desk and didn't say a thing.

For the rest of the week, Annabel showed up to school with dark circles under her eyes and dozing off in class. I kept her awake for the most part in our 4th hour class together and lunch, poking her gently before her heavy eyelids won their battle, but I had no idea what she did to stay awake for her other classes. I didn't question her anymore about Seth or Christian for that matter, as I knew that this was something she had to figure out by herself. I was not stunned when she didn't show up to school on Friday. I figured out she was either catching up with her sleep or maybe with Seth.

I was surprised however to find Christian waiting by my car after school let out as I walked into the parking lot. He must have skipped his last class to come here. His was leaning against my driver side door. I was taken a back on how disheveled he looked. His eyes had heavy bags underneath them and his hair was messy as if he had just woken up or just didn't care anymore. I looked up at Jacob who had the same serious concern on his face as I did.

"He probably wants to talk to just you. I'll just make him uncomfortable," Jacob said as he made his way over to my family on the other side of the parking lot, who were now staring back at me.

I took a deep breath and made my way over to him. I shook my head slightly at how troubled Christian looked. I stepped in front of him and he slowly looked up at me.

"Hey Christian," I said.

"Hi Nessie," he replied softly.

He looked back down to the ground and I waited a moment to see if he was going to say anything else.

"What's going on?" I asked to try to get him to speak.

He rubbed the back of his head and then ran his fingers through his hair.

"Annabel isn't school today is she?" Christian said.

"No…no she isn't."

"Have you spoken to her lately?"

"Yes, I saw her yesterday at school but I haven't spoken to her today. Is everything okay, Christian?"

"Um… yeah. I'm probably just over reacting."

"Over reacting?"

"Please don't tell her I said anything to you…it's just that, she seemed very distant the last couple of days. Something is different, I just don't know what."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

"I've tried, but she just keeps avoiding me. I was hoping to catch her here but I was surprised to see her car wasn't in the parking lot. I was hoping maybe you gave her a lift."

"Sorry Christian. I think she skipped today."

He sighed and looked back down on the ground. My stomach was turning and I felt so guilty watching him. I knew exactly what was going on, but I couldn't say anything. I wanted to console him and tell him everything would be alright, but I knew that it wasn't going to be.

He shook his head at himself.

"God, I'm seriously pathetic aren't I?" he said as he nervously chuckling.

It really pained me to see him this way.

"No, you're just a concerned boyfriend," I said trying to make him feel better.

"Yeah…sure. Nessie, please don't tell her I came here. I really feel stupid."

"Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks."

I watched him make his way back to his car with his head down. I took a deep breath and continued to watch him get into his car and drive away. Jacob came over to me and put his arm around my waist.

"He's not doing too well is he?" he asked.

"No…not at all. I need to talk to Annabel. I'm going to see if she is home. Will you take my car home?"

"Sure. Come home soon."

I kissed him on the cheek and walked until I was out of sight of the students then took off running to Annabel's house.

~*~*~*~

When I arrived to Annabel's house, I could hear her talking to someone in her backyard. She sounded upset. I made my way towards the back of the house. As I reached the corner, I stopped abruptly and quickly pressed myself up against the brick wall, hoping she hadn't noticed me.

I didn't mean to spy, but I just couldn't tear myself away from listening to their conversation. I saw Seth's eyes flash to mine in a split second. He noticed I was there and I should have turned back, but I just couldn't. I had to know why he was here.

"Seth, please you need to leave… you need to stay away," I heard Annabel say.

"Stay Away? Is that really what you want, Annabel?" Seth said taking a few steps closer to her.

"You know it's not what I want… it's…it's what I need."

Seth stepped forward a little more, almost as if he was trying to pull her into his arms but she stopped him, placing one hand on his chest so he could not get any closer to her.

"I can't, Seth," she said. "I made a promise to him. I told him I would love him forever. I can't go back on my word."

"Do you love him Annabel? Do you love him more than me?"

She looked into his eyes with tears streaming down her cheeks. Seth grazed his finger across her face to wipe the tears away.

"Seth, if I end it…it will break him. I know how intense his feelings are for me. I'm hurting him already. I don't want to do this anymore. The more you come around, the harder it is for me to stay away."

"Then don't" he said softly while caressing the side of her face with his fingers. He bent down placing his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear, "Please Annabel… be with me."

She took few steps back but looked at him longingly. She shook her head no. My heart tore for her. She was trying to keep her promise to Christian, but I already knew it was a lost cause. She couldn't deny or ignore her feelings for Seth. No imprint could. Even if you were given a choice, would you deny yourself to be loved so unconditionally? The feelings and the attachment were too strong to break.

Quickly before she had time to protest he swiftly walked to her, grabbing her in his arms and placing his lips on hers. Her body reacted on instinct as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"I'll wait for you then. No matter how long it takes." He whispered on her lips.

_Wait for her?_ I thought. _Until when? Christian dies of old age?_

He placed her back down on the ground.

"I love you, Annabel," he said stepping away from her.

"I love you too Seth," she choked out.

She watched him run into the forest. When he was gone out of sight, she dropped to her knees and started sobbing in her hands. I quickly rushed to her side and pulled her into my arms. She didn't seem shocked that I was there; maybe she knew I was spying all along. I rubbed her back trying to sooth her.

"Nessie, what have I done? I'm an awful person," she whispered.

"You are not an awful person. You didn't know this was going to happen. You didn't know Seth yet."

She started shivering in my arms. I got her up on her feet and into her house. She sat on her couch and I placed a few blankets around her. It was one thing to be outside with your own personal space heater to keep you warm, it was another to be alone, especially since it had been continually snowing the past few days. I walked into her kitchen to find the hot chocolate. As soon it was warmed up, I sat next to her and gave her the mug.

"Thank you," she said softly as she took a careful sip.

"Are you okay?" I asked, even though it was so obviously no.

"No," she confirmed, "you saw everything?"

"I'm sure most of it."

She sighed and nodded.

"Can I give you some advice?" I asked timidly. I never really had that much experience with boys and really the only person I've dated was Jacob, but was thinking advice from one imprint to another.

"Sure."

"Don't you want Christian to be loved by someone with the same intensity as he has for you?"

"Of course, Nessie."

"Well isn't it unfair for you to pretend to love him, when your heart clearly belongs to someone else? I know you want to keep your promise, but sometimes, not all promises can be kept."

She stared into her mug not saying a word.

"Give Christian a chance to find love…one that is equal on both sides. He may hurt now, but this will be nothing compared to how bad he will hurt the longer this drags out. I know you think you can stay away from Seth, but trust me… you can't."

Before she had time to answer, I kissed her on the cheek and was out the door, running through the woods back to my house. I knew that she had to be alone with her thoughts. As I picked up speed through the forest, a sudden urge rushed through me. I wanted desperately to be in Jacob's arms. I wanted to be reminded that I was one of the lucky ones. One of the few in the whole world who found their perfect match.

As if he already knew what I was thinking, knew what I needed, I found him standing on the edge of the forest behind my house waiting for me. I didn't slow down my run, only running faster. He held his arms up as I jumped into them, nearly knocking him back. I quickly buried my face in the crook of his neck. I took a deep breath of his scent. I know it seemed silly but I wanted to remind myself that he was real, that he really did belong to me. He squeezed me tightly against his body.

"I missed you," he said.

~*~*~*~

That night the Denali Clan finally made it to our house while I was sleeping. I woke up in the morning to find them still discussing the latest news from the vampire world in the living room. Eleazer and Carmen were sitting closely together on the couch. Kate and Garrett were leaning against the wall. Tanya…well she and her new fiancé, Blake were groping each other on the other side of the room.

Blake was an up and coming musician when he was human. He became Tanya's new obsession and she sought him out. Apparently she showed up at one of his concerts and there was no looking back. Of course he was memorized by her but I think for the first time in her life, she had been completely memorized herself. She had become his obsession…his muse. She inspired the 5 number one hits the last 4 years of his life. It wasn't till a year ago, she showed up with him in tow on our doorstop, asking Carlisle to change him. Unfortunately Blake had become a tragic Hollywood unsolved mystery, whose story still played frequently on VH1.

Eleazer cleared his throat to signal Blake and Tanya to give it a rest. Tanya sighed and pulled Blake to the couch.

They had brought a news paper from England. A small article was circled in red. It was passed around to each family member to read. The headline read: Famous Psychic to the Stars Missing.

Alice was the last to read the article. She snorted while she tossed it on the coffee table.

"So, they are trying to find another me?" she said.

"It would seem so," my father said.

I was still sleepy and in my pajamas. I laid on the couch with my head in Jacob's lap while he lightly rubbed my shoulder. Leah and Seth were still sleeping.

"Did you hear about the apparent school shooting at St. Anastasia University?" Carmen asked us.

"Yes, that happened two weeks ago?" Esme said.

"Well apparently it wasn't a school shooting. There is a new clan that formed there. A few of them were taking classes at the university. One of them apparently couldn't handle it and ended up killing the whole class room of children. Rumor is that they had to stage it to look like a shooting/suicide."

I saw my father shudder.

"So horrible," Rosalie whispered.

I heard a car approaching the house. I looked at my father whose eyes narrowed.

"Who is it?" my mother asked.

When my father immediately turned his gaze to me, I knew who it was. I got up and walked out the door to wait for Annabel on the porch. I watched her pull up to the house and get out of the car. Her eyes were red and puffy and I could still see the tears that stained her cheeks.

"Nessie, I didn't know where else to go," she said as she ran into my arms, pressed her face into my shoulder and started sobbing harder.

"What happened?"

"I did it…I broke up with Christian."

My father and Jacob came up from behind me.

"He didn't take it well," my father said watching her memories. He said it so quietly, I was sure she didn't hear him.

"He knows Nessie. He asked me if there was someone else…and I just couldn't lie. He knows about Seth and he knows that he is like me…immortal."

I hugged Annabel a little tighter. She was sobbing so hard, she was now hiccupping.

"Everything will be okay, Annabel. I promise," I said trying to sooth her.

All of sudden she was out of my arms and into Seth's. I looked over surprised to see him standing right next to me.

"I got her," Seth said.

He cradled her in his arms as he pressed his face against the top of her head. He quickly made his way back into the house and I followed behind him as walked through the living room heading towards the back door.

"Annabel?!"

Both Seth and I immediately stopped. Who out of the Denali clan would know who Annabel was?

I looked to who said her name and found Eleazer with an extremely surprised look on his face.

"Annabel," he said again as if reassuring himself that it was her.

Annabel lifted her head up from Seth's shoulder and looked at who had called her name. Her eyes narrowed at first but immediately changed with striking fear. She let out a gasp as she clung to Seth. She gripped him as if she was holding on to him for dear life.

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**Thank you once again for taking an interest in my story. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and I'll send you a teaser of the next chapter!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. I especially love the long ones…more to read!! Hope you like the next chapter. I apologize for taking so long to post. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter up a bit quicker next time.**

**Also thank you to my beta ~*~Z~*~. You are awesome!**

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It took a while to get Annabel to calm down. It probably would have taken even longer had Seth not been there. But with his reassurance that he would not let Eleazer hurt her, she eventually stopped pleading to go home. Eleazer looked at Annabel with remorseful eyes. He waited on the other side of the room while Annabel and Seth sat on the couch opposite him. Seth had carefully tucked her beside him, leaning slightly forward so she remained half hidden behind his body. She clung tightly to the back of Seth's shirt making her knuckles white, never relaxing her muscles. I sat next to her opposite from Seth, hoping that my presence to would make her feel slightly safer. Jake sat on my other side, with a hand on my back, looking cautiously at Eleazer, while Seth glared. I've never seen a negative side of Seth. It was unnerving.

The rest of my family and the Denali clan were scattered in between us. All of us wore matching curious expressions, waiting for some sort of explanation. Just then, my father spun his head to look at Eleazer.

"Well…that explains it," he said quietly.

"That's him," Annabel whispered. I looked at her as she leaned to into me. "That's the man I saw when my parents sent me away to run with my brother."

"Yes, that was me," Eleazer said softly as he slowly moved closer to us. "You have to understand that what I made your parents do was well intentioned. I had to make them send you away, far away so that no one knew that you existed…especially Aro."

"Why don't you start from the beginning, Eleazer," Carlisle said.

Eleazer took a smaller step closer, but quickly stopped as Annabel flinched.

"Please, Annabel, I mean no harm. I am just so surprised to see you…here and still alive. I did not know you were immortal."

Eleazer made another small attempt to approach, but stopped short when a feral rumble came from Seth's chest. He then took a seat farthest across the room from us.

"Goodness…where to start?" Eleazer thought for a moment and then began, "There is an old myth among vampires known as The Healer. The myth is about a human who has the ability to heal. Most vampires do not believe such a human exists…it is hard to imagine a _human_ with such an incredible power. Many centuries we have seen humans who have claimed to be a healer, only to be proven time and time again to be false. Many who believe the legend is true, only believe in the hope that this human could possibly have to power to change them back to human. While others feel that because this power is so strong while The Healer is human, their strength would become unfathomable once turned into a vampire. You can see why Aro had such an interest in finding if this legend was true.

"After a few centuries of searching, Aro all but gave up. My guess is he came to the conclusion that such a human just didn't exist. After I met Carmen, I started to desire to move on from the Volturi. I watched Aro acquire power after power with these new vampires. I saw the man who I had once thought wanted peace and privacy for our kind start to desire nothing more than power.

I was sent out on one last mission. There was a breakout of newborns in a small village that we needed to take care of. I still remember the screams that came out of that village."

Eleazer paused for a moment and shuddered from the memory.

"The ciaos outside and the innocent humans that were caught in the mix is a hard memory to forget, though I have seen it more times than I should. We had to wipe out the whole village. I was going through which vampires who would be worth saving, informing the guard who we were going to keep and bring back to Italy. It was then that I came across a human whose power I could see was incredibly strong. Aro certainly would have been ecstatic about acquiring this human if she hadn't killed herself before we were able to change her. She was the closest to Alice's power I have every come across. She was an oracle of some sorts. It was right before she died she told me that I would come across a human girl with extraordinary powers…the healer. The power that she would possess when she became a vampire would be so utterly extraordinary; she foresaw that this girl would the catalyst of the greatest war this world had ever seen. She insisted that the healer needed to be destroyed.

"I had made the decision then that when I came across this girl that she needed to be killed. It was many years later when I found her. I hadn't realized at first when I stumbled across you and your brother playing in the field. I waited and watched you for a while."

Eleazer turned to look back at Annabel, who responded by hanging on tighter to Seth. Seth gave her a little squeeze with his arm to reassure her than she was safe.

"As I watched you, I began to fall in love. You had reminded me of my daughter who I had lost so long ago. To hear you laugh, sent all of my old memories to the forefront, memories hidden away and blurry became bright again," Eleazer continued.

"You had a daughter?" Esme asked.

"Yes. I do not like to talk about her. It had been so hard to lose her; she is probably one of the only human memories that I have. You must understand why now I had decided not to kill Annabel. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. But as I watched her, I reminded myself that because this girl was still human, she would eventually die. If I could find a way to keep her hidden, I wouldn't have to kill her myself. The only problem now was that if Aro decided to read my mind, he would know what I discovered. I swiftly made my way to Annabel's home and showed her parents who I was, what I was. I told them how much danger their daughter was in. I told them that they needed to send you away, and keep you running, it was your only hope…it was our only hope to not fulfill the prophecy. If I didn't know where you were, it would be harder for Aro to find you. As soon as I got back to Italy, I expressed my wishes to leave with Carmen. To my surprise he had let me go, without touching me. I was happy to be able to keep the healer a secret."

"Why didn't my parents go with me? Why didn't they run with me?" Annabel whispered.

"Annabel, they gave you and your brother all that they had worth any value. The cost of two people on the run was far less than the cost of four people on the run. You could run farther away."

"But I'm immortal, I'm still living," Annabel said in a slightly louder voice.

"Yes, I know. You must see how terribly surprised I am to see you. I had no reason to believe that you were immortal."

"But vampire venom doesn't affect me, my blood fights it off. I can't be changed," Annabel's voice continuing to rise.

Eleazer eyes grew wide as he took this information in.

"It doesn't?" he choked out.

"No," Annabel said sternly.

"How do you know?" Carmen asked.

"I tested her blood. Her blood has a remarkable ability to fight off anything…even vampire venom. With the tests that I ran, I am assured that turning her would be impossible," Carlisle stated.

"Impossible?" Eleazer whispered.

"Yes, impossible!" Annabel yelled at Eleazer. She was on her feet now shouting across the room. "You took away everything! You took away my family, my childhood. I could have had more time…more time to spend with my family before I outlived them!"

Eleazer said nothing but looked to the floor.

"I did not know. I don't see how this could be," Eleazer spoke softly.

"Your oracle was wrong!" Annabel screamed. I flinched at her voice and at the pain I saw in her eyes.

It was then that Seth wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her out of the house. I watched him quickly run her into the pool house. Everyone else in the room was silent. The only thing you could hear was Annabel crying while Seth softly whispering things to her to calm her down.

~*~*~

I made my way to through the backyard towards the pool house, carrying a large basket of blankets and pillows Esme had packed up for Seth. I loved the lavender scent off of the sheets. I bent my head slightly down to take a deep breath in. It was one of the most comforting smells to me…it made me always think of my home in Forks.

Jacob held the door open as I made my way in. He messed up my hair as I made my way through the door.

"Hey!" I said swatting his hand away. He chuckled and bent down to kiss me on the cheek. "I come bearing gifts."

I walked over to the couch where Seth was sitting and placed the basket beside him. I sat next to him and looked at the TV to see what he was watching.

"Family Guy?" I asked.

"Yep. It's an awesome show," Seth said.

I looked over to see where Jacob was. As always he was hovering over the refrigerator.

"So…you are going to sleep on the couch?" I asked Seth.

He shrugged and continued to watch TV.

"I don't know if she would feel comfortable sharing a bed with me. I'm not sure how she would feel about that. I figured I would play it safe," he said.

I nodded my head. I looked over to Seth's door that was closed shut.

"Is she still sleeping?" I asked.

"Yeah, going on two hours now," he said as he looked at his watch.

"She had a pretty rough day."

"That's an understatement."

I sat for a while, watching TV and lounging on the couch. Finally I got up.

"I'm going to go check on her," I said.

I walked over to Seth's door and lightly tapped on it. I cracked the door open and peeked inside. I found Annabel lying on the left side of the bed, her back facing me. I watched her body rise and fall with her steady breaths for a moment before I slowly backed out of the room. I was about to close the door when I heard her call my name.

"Nessie?" she said softly.

"Hi. I was just checking up on you," I said as I made my way to the bed.

She patted down the open space next to her. I laid down on the bed, so that we were both facing each other.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

She yawned and took a moment to think about it.

"Super," she said sarcastically. I smiled…at least she hadn't lost her sense of humor.

"Things can only get better, right?"

"Right."

She stared off in the distance, while I watched her face. The slight smile she wore started to disappear. She sniffled as the tears began to stream down her face. I reached over and pushed her hair back to wipe the tears with my fingers.

"I just…miss my family…I miss having a family. I wish I had had more time with my parents and I wish my brother was still here. I miss him more than anything," she whispered.

"I know that I can't bring your family back. But you must know that we already consider you as part of our family."

"Thanks Nessie," she sighed. I felt as though maybe she thought I had only said that to make her feel better.

"Really, Annabel. I already think of you as my family member. You're a part of us now…part of me. You're my sister."

I reached over and took her hand to give it a light squeeze.

"Sisters?" she said with a smile.

"Sisters."

"That sounds nice."

"Yes it does. I have to warn you though, being sisters with me unfortunately comes with Emmet as an uncle."

"Consider yourself lucky, Annabel!" Emmett yelled out the window of the house, loud enough for Annabel to hear.

Annabel's eyes went wide and we started to laugh.

"Feel better?" I asked.

"I'm starting to. Where is Seth?"

"He is watching TV…waiting for you to wake up, I suppose. Would you like me to get him?"

"Not yet, I'm enjoying our girl time."

I smiled.

"So…what happened with Christian?" I asked. She turned on her back and flung her arm over her eyes. I bit my lip and cursed myself for the lack of tactfulness I sometimes have. I immediately regretted bringing it up.

"It was awful, Nessie. I woke up this morning really early. I didn't sleep well the whole night just thinking about what I was going to do. In the end, I couldn't bear the thought that if I stayed with Christian, I would constantly be lying to him…lying to myself. So when I made my decision, I couldn't wait. Christian met me at the school parking lot. He was so… so upset. He kept asking me if there was someone else and I just couldn't lie. That's when he got really mad."

"Mad?"

"Yes, he was yelling at me, asking me who it was. I told him that I just recently met him, that my feelings took me by surprise. And then he asked me what Seth had that he didn't. I couldn't say anything. How could I even begin to describe what Seth and I have? And even if I had the words, would I even want Christian to know? That's when he asked if Seth was immortal like me. The second I said yes, he got in his car and drove away."

She took a deep breath.

"That's pretty much it."

"He is hurting now, but his heart will heal."

"I just can't get over how upset he was…how mad he became."

"Are you scared that he will hurt you?"

"No…no….I don't think so…no…definitely no," she stuttered out.

I could hear a slight worry in her voice. The thought of her alone in her house gave me an unsettling feeling.

"Why don't you stay here till Monday? We can go to school together." I suggested.

"Really? I don't want to be an imposition," she said as she bit her lower lip.

"Remember…sisters? We're family now. Family imposes all the time," I joked.

"I don't have any clothes. I'll have to go back to my house."

"Have you forgotten who I live with? I have tons of clothes you can borrow. We are about the same size. Though, Alice probably already bought you new clothes. I really wouldn't put it past her."

She laughed and yawned. I yawned back, figuring it was just contagious but I felt my eyes feel slightly heavy.

"Thanks, Nessie…for everything," she said quietly.

"Don't mention it," I whispered and felt myself slip into a deep sleep.

~*~*~

I woke up still in Seth's bedroom; alone, but nicely tucked in the sheets. I could hear the TV faintly in the other room. I turned around on the bed to look at the clock. It was 2 in the morning. I got up and decided to see who else was up. When I walked into the family room of the pool house I found Annabel had somehow wedged herself on the couch with Seth. Both were sleeping soundly. If Seth had not been holding her tightly by the waist she would have rolled off the couch and onto the floor easily. I debated on waking them up so that they could move into Seth's room but there was something so sweet about how closely they were holding each other, barely fitting on the couch together, so I decided against it.

I walked quietly as I could to Jacob's door. I opened the door slightly and peeked in. Jacob was sprawled out all over the bed. My heart skipped as I watched his chest rise and fall with each breath. How I desperately wanted to curl up beside him. I bit my lower lip, thinking about it, but instantly remembered that my family was home and my father had just heard my thoughts. I turned around and decided to head back to go to bed. I had just about reached pool house door when I felt a hand grab mine. Surprised, I looked up to find Jacob holding on.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Did I wake you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," I whispered back.

"No, actually, I've been waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?"

"Yeah, it seems like a while since we spent time together…just you and me."

I looked over to Seth and Annabel who were still sleeping.

"Walk with me?" he asked.

"Sure."

He took my hand and led me out the door and into the woods behind the house. We walked a ways, just enjoying each other's company. I looked up at the sky, admiring the full moon. Small snowflakes slowly started to fall out of the sky. It was a beautiful night. I looked back to the house to only find faint lights through the windows.

We walked a few miles out, far beyond prying vampire hearing; taking extra care to be outside my father's capable range. I loved having alone time like this with Jacob. I hated having to always make sure I was regulating my thoughts or editing what I wanted to say. It was nice to have some sort of privacy with him.

I felt his arm fall around my shoulders.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"Just how nice this is…us, out here. It's nice to have some privacy with you," I said.

"I agree."

He leaned against a tree and brought me closer to him, holding me tight against his chest. I could feel the warmth of his chest against my cheek. He pushed my hair back over my shoulders and I could feel lips rest on the top of my head.

"I can't wait for the day I get to marry you," he said suddenly.

My heart started beating hard. I looked up at him to find him looking back down at me with a smirk on his lips.

"What makes you think I'll say yes?" I said jokingly.

"It doesn't matter. You don't have a choice," he joked back.

"I guess we will just have to wait and see."

He started tickling my sides, trying to make me laugh.

"Oh really Nessie?" he said laughing.

"Stop!" I said still laughing trying to push his fingers away.

All of sudden he scooped me up in his arms, wrapping them tightly around my waist. I was high enough our faces were nearly touching. He kissed me lightly on the lips.

"Say you'll marry me one day, Nessie," he nearly begged.

"One day I will marry you," I spoke softly.

"Promise?"

"I promise. But the next time you ask me, I want to see a ring."

~*~*~

It was Monday morning before I knew it. The sun was out today, shinning ever so brightly against the snow. The weekend had gone by so fast. More of my family's friends finally started to show up at the house. It was beginning to get pretty crowded in our large home. I spent most of Sunday in the pool house with Jacob, Seth and Annabel.

Jacob, Annabel and I arrived at school a bit early. The rest of my family would be skipping today due to the rare sunshine that was making an appearance and due to the many guests that were currently at our house. I'm sure they were in discussions about the Volturi. We were talking about last night and everyone's curiosity over Annabel. Many wanted to meet the healer, having remembered the old myth. I had been slightly afraid of introducing her to them, as some still did not share in the same diet as we did. She had been slightly shy but nevertheless won them over. Seth never left her side, only to make her feel much more comfortable and safe.

We were gathering our backpacks out of the trunk of my car when I heard footsteps approach us.

"Annabel?" I recognized the voice. It was Christian.

I turned around to find an even more disheveled boy than I saw last week.

"Christian? What are you doing here?" Annabel asked. She looked just as surprised to see him as I was.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Annabel looked at me and Jacob.

"In private?" he added.

I looked at her trying to read if she was okay with talking to him. She nodded her head at me.

"I'll catch up with you later, Nessie," she said.

"Are you sure?" I asked warily.

"Yes, I'll see you in 4th period."

I started to walk into the school with Jacob, but felt an impulse to look back. She caught my eyes and could tell that I was worried. She mouthed 'its okay' and waved me goodbye. I took a deep breath and grabbed Jacob's hand as we headed into the building.

My first three periods of class seem to go on forever. I couldn't wait till 4th period to find out what had happened outside. By the time the 3rd period bell rang to signal class was over, I was already packed up and heading to our home economics class. I watched the door intensely, waiting for Annabel to arrive. I was surprised when the bell rang signaling the beginning of 4th period and she still had not shown up for class. I waited 15 more minutes into class and there was still no sign of her.

"Hey Emma," I called across the room.

Emma turned around to look at me.

"Hey Nessie, what's up?" she said.

"Have you seen Annabel today?" I asked.

"No," she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "She wasn't in 1st period this morning."

My stomach dropped. This couldn't be good. Something was very, very wrong.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I already started the next chapter so stay tuned. Please review…it definitely keeps me motivated to keep going with this story!!!!! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Happy Holidays! I cannot express how ecstatic I am about the many awesome reviews I have been receiving. I love to hear how much you are enjoying the story. I know many of you hate the cliff hangers but I gotta get you guys interested in wanting to read the next chapter!! Please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think of this chapter. **

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* * *

I immediately walked out of the classroom. I could faintly hear my teacher calling after me. I tried to find Annabel's scent through the hallways but could not pick anything up. I was thankful for the absence of students and teachers because I could move as quickly as I wanted. I made it to the parking lot, where I could still faintly pick up her scent. It seemed that she never made it into the building. She was in trouble. I could feel it. I headed back into the building moving as swiftly as I could to Jacob's classroom.

"Jacob and I have to go home. We have a family emergency," I said to the teacher. My eyes were intense and she was taken aback by the urgency of my voice.

Jacob got up and walked out of the classroom with me without waiting for her to respond. We walked back to the parking lot and drove home in silence. He didn't have to ask me what was wrong…he already knew. We could hear the yelling coming from the house miles before we reached the long driveway. I ran up the stairs of the porch with Jacob following closely behind. As I opened the door, I was surprised by the altercation I saw.

"How could you let this happen? I thought you were watching her!" Seth shouted at Alice. Jasper was standing protectively in front of her while Seth continued to yell. Alice looked utterly distraught by the situation.

Seth stood there trembling, his hands closed tightly in a fist. My father, Leah and Emmett were in front of him holding him back. Everyone else was in the far corners of the room, watching Seth shake uncontrollably. My mother moved to stand protectively in front of me when I entered the house and Jacob took my father's spot controlling Seth so he came to stand by me as well.

"Seth, you need to calm down," Jacob said vehemently.

His eyes were fiery, burning with anger and desperation. I was taken aback by the murderous stare he was giving my family…especially Alice.

"I can't!" he screamed. He trembled once more and the clothes he wore started to tear against his quivering body. In his fit of anger, he grabbed the dinning room chair and threw it through the window. The crash of broken glass made me shudder.

"Get him outside!" my father shouted to Leah and Jacob.

"I have to get her back. I…I just have to." Seth moaned. In the brief moment that overwhelming sadness took over blinding rage, Leah and Jacob took the opportunity to push him out the back door. As soon as they got outside, I saw Seth burst into his wolf form and take off running with Leah and Jacob following closely after him.

It was silent for a moment. The rest of the people in the room were probably a bit shaken after taking in the sight of seeing a werewolf shift for the first time.

"Alice, look at me," Jasper said as he turned to her, taking her face in his hands. "It's not your fault. You can't be expected to catch everything."

"I should have seen it. I should have been watching her closer," Alice whispered.

"What did she see? What happened to Annabel?" I asked as I looked at my father. My eyes were stinging with tears that threatened to fall.

"Annabel is on a plane to Italy…to Volterra," he said.

"What? How? How do they even know about her?"

"They don't, at least no yet. Apparently Christian is taking her there," my mother said.

"Christian?" I was shocked. It didn't make sense. I couldn't even fathom it.

"We don't know how Christian knows about the Volturi or if he even knows anything about vampires," Rosalie said.

"So why are we still standing here? Let's go and get her," I said to my family.

"It's too late to catch her before she reaches Volterra and we can't just show up there. It would be suicide," Jasper said.

"Then what do we do? We just let them have her?" I said exasperatedly.

"She is a part of our family, Nessie. You know that we are not just going to let them have her. But we can't just go there with no plan," Carlisle said.

"What are they going to do to her?" I whispered.

It was silent as I looked around the room. Everyone's eyes were to the floor, no one, not even my parents meeting my stare.

"They are going to try," Alice said quietly.

"Try?"

"They are going to try and change her to a vampire."

"Will they succeed?" I choked out.

"No."

My stomach dropped as I realized the implications of them trying to change Annabel. I looked around still unable to catch anyone's eye.

"Will she be in pain?" I choked out.

"Yes, immense pain."

I took my father's arm immediately, pulling him so he would look at me.

"We have to go immediately. I don't understand why we are just standing around," I begged him.

"Please Nessie; I know how much she means to you. But we must be smart about this. They will not be able to change her but Aro will still want to keep her. He will fight to keep her and we are going to have to prepare to fight back. He may use this as a perfect opportunity to wipe us out."

I looked around at the faces in the room. The only eyes that didn't avoid my stare were my families'. I realized that none of the others would go to Italy to fight with us. I became angry because I didn't understand why; if they came all the way here to discuss a potential war then why was it so difficult to go fight now.

"Nessie, this is not their fight," my father said.

"We would be on their turf. The chances of survival are very slim," Jasper said.

The grave faces of my family looked upon each other with such sadness. The fear in their eyes was so apparent. I saw my father look longingly to my mother. I remembered these faces…from so long ago; back when we thought that all hope was lost. But a miracle had come then! How could there not be one more miracle granted? If everyone came together, fought together our chances would be higher.

I looked sternly into the faces of those whose eyes avoided mine.

"Without your help, you are pushing my family to their death," I told them. "Will you fight with us?"

Silence rang deafeningly loud in my ears. As anger over took me I realized I could not stand here any longer. I stormed out of the house and slammed the door.

"Let her go, Bella. She just needs to cool down," I heard my father say.

I ran fast through the woods not knowing where I was going. I could feel tears of anger being pushed by the wind on my face. As the anger grew, it also redirected to Christian. I began to hate him. Pity was now replaced with blinding rage and loathing. If I ever got my hands on him I would tear him to pieces, crush him hard. How could he do that to someone who he supposedly loved? How did he even know about Volterra? Did he know anything about vampires? Did he know exactly who he was bringing Annabel to?

. I found myself making my way Christian's house. I looked at my watch. School had not gotten out yet. His parents would not be home and would probably not have discovered the fact that their son was missing and nevertheless in Italy.

He lived in a typical colonial home in a classic suburban neighborhood. With it still being daylight, I didn't want to get caught breaking into the house. I listened to the surrounding noise and it seemed that most people were at work or carrying around in their house. I looked around and discreetly made my way to the back of the house trying to find an entrance. It looked like there was no obvious place for me to break in. I lightly pulled the back door on the deck and to my luck, they had seemed to forgotten to lock this door.

I closed the door lightly behind me as I made my way in the house. I quickly looked around and spotted the stairs. Swiftly making it up the stairs I stopped short to stare at the family photos that were on the wall. There was a picture of Christian when he was young and an older girl. I had never seen a picture of his sister before. She was beautiful with those striking green eyes set against her skin tone which was slightly darker than Christians.

I easily found Christian's room by his scent. His room was at the end of the hall, the door slightly opened. His room was a typical room of a teenage boy. The walls painted blue with flannel bed sheets to match in disarray on his bed. There were CD's and clothes scattered among other things on the floor. I walked to his dresser taking note of a few framed pictures of Annabel.

Not knowing what I was looking for I began rummaging through his things. I found a small box in his sock drawer but when I opened it, it was empty. I knelt on the floor looking under the bed. I pushed around some books and magazines that had found their way down there. Again, I turned up with nothing. I shook my head in frustration at myself. What exactly was I planning on finding here? I was hoping for some sort of clue; something to tell me why he took her and why Italy of all places.

I had been through every inch of the room, about to give up when something caught my eye. The vent on the floor of his room had been not been put on correctly. The side of it stood slightly askew. I walked over, pulled the vent cover off and reached my hand inside. My fingers brushed against a small box. I carefully pulled the box out. When I opened it I found some letters addressed to Christian with a return address of Italy but no name. All of the letters were tied together with an old pair of shoelaces. I untied the bundle and opened the letters reading each one quickly. I stumbled upon one particularly interesting letter.

_Dear Christian,_

_Hope all is well. Italy is absolutely beautiful…amazing! One day when you are older you must come and visit me. I will show you around this great country. I am currently staying in the city of Volterra. The food is great and so are the people. I even met someone special. I wish you could see me now. I am like a silly love sick fool and I walk around with a stupid grin on my face all day. I can't wait for the day that you meet him. He is angel and absolutely beautiful. His name is Felix. I know its weird hearing about your sister's love life, but I feel compelled to tell you, to tell everyone! I think he is the one. Yes, I said it…THE ONE! Felix is helping me get settled here and is even helping me get a job as a receptionist at the company he works for. I am thinking of staying here permanently. I know you are surprised to hear that, since it seems I could never stay in one place. I really feel I found what I have been looking for in this great city. _

_Love you,_

_Gianna_

I rummaged through the other letters, scanning them quickly until I found something of interest. Most of them talked more about Italy and her new love Felix. Soon the letters started to take a weird turn. The name of the company she worked for was The Volturi. She also began to talk about her desires to become like the people she worked for…absurdly beautiful. It was clear to me in the letters she sent Christian, she knew exactly what these "people" were, but knew she could not tell her little brother. My eyes were quickly scanning another letter when something caught my eye.

_Dear Christian,_

_This may be my last letter, I do not know. I have not been honest about who I work for. It is a secretive company. They are amazing people…angels, miracle workers or real life gods. I know that this may be hard to believe. You may think I'm going crazy here but I promise, everything I say is the truth. They have the ability to give immortality and beauty. Felix is one of them. _

_Only few are chosen to receive this great gift. Only those who are believed to be special, people who have extra abilities. I have seen the people that they have chosen. These are people who claim to see the future, speak to spirits, and are telepathic, among other abilities. I believe that I may be next. I have prayed every night that they choose me and though it seems to them I have nothing to offer, Felix and I have grown closer. I am hoping that his will to keep me for forever, will change their minds. We would live all of eternity together. I would be just like him...just like them…perfect. I promise you; in a year I will come for you and give you this gift as well. If you do not hear from me after this year, just know that I love you. _

I grabbed the letters and quickly made my way out of the house. I was home before sunset. My family and the Denali Clan were still in the main room of the house, discussing and arguing about plans of action. It seemed everyone else had left. I didn't bother asking why. I spotted my father at the conference table. He was sketching something that looked like blue prints. I quickly walked up to the table and placed the letters in front of him.

"I know why Christian took her to Italy," I said.

He looked up at me while the rest of the people converged around the letters I had brought. All of them listened intently to me.

"His sister worked for the Volturi when she was human. He may not know exactly who or what they are, but he knows what they are capable of. I don't know what happened to her…I assumed they killed her."

My family opened the letters, read them quickly and passed them around.

"Gianna? Why does her name sound so familiar?" my mother asked.

"You've met her before, love. When you came to save me from myself," my father said softly. His eyes were sad as if he was recalling a painful memory.

"Hmm…the memory is too blurry," my mother said shaking her head as if she was hoping that would make the memory become clear.

I heard the back door open and watched Jacob walk in. He looked beaten and worn out. There were fading cut marks all over his arms and a gash on his cheek that was starting to heal. I quickly walked over to him, examining each of the cuts.

"What happened?" I asked my eyes still on his arm.

"Um…it took a bit too calm Seth down," he shrugged.

"A bit?"

"How is Seth doing?" Carlisle asked.

"Not good. Leah is with him now, making sure he doesn't do anything stupid. I came to find out what the plan was."

"We are leaving tomorrow afternoon," my father said.

"Tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yes, while you are at school."

"Wait… what? You're going without me?"

"Yes Nessie."

"But that doesn't make sense. I need to go. You guys need me to go. I can use my pow-"

"No Nessie. We are doing this without you," my father said in a stern voice cutting me off.

"But mom can shield me and then I can borrow pow-"

"No."

"But-"

"No!" my father yelled at me. His angry eyes narrowed as he locked onto my stare. My eyes started to water over. I had never been yelled at by my father. I could feel my heart beating fast.

Not wanting to witness a family squabble, the rest of the people in the room quietly filed out, leaving only my parents, myself and Jacob.

"Nessie, we can't bare to put you in that sort of danger. You don't understand what it would do to us if something should happen to you," my mother said as she tried to put her arm around me, trying to calm me down. I shook her arm off.

"Well I can't bear everyone going without me," I urged angrily.

"Jacob, Seth and Leah will be staying here. You know the wolves cannot go. The Volturi will not honor any agreement we make, should we be able to come up with one, with the pack."

"It still doesn't make sense to go without me. I can help."

I felt a strong need to go. Annabel and I were best friends…sisters even. I could not sit here and wait to see what happens. I had to be apart of it. I had to help.

"I have to go," I stated once more, trying to calm my voice. "You can't leave me here and expect me just to sit around and wait to see how this plays out."

"Absolutely not," Jacob said. I turned my head to glare at him. He stared at me with saddened eyes. "I won't let you go without me."

"Well it's too bad because I'm going without you," I said to him. "You know I'm much too important of an asset not to go. They need me."

"I need you." His voice was becoming angry.

"You'll survive," I shot back at him.

"No, I won't."

"I have to go! It's not fair for me not to go! She means more to me than to anyone else that is going!" I screamed at him.

"Your. Not. Going." His eyes were intense, furious as he spoke to me. His hands were trembling at his sides. I watched him take deep breaths to calm himself down.

It infuriated me that he was siding with my parents.

"Tell me that I would not useful on this trip. Tell me that the chances of all of them coming back would not be greater if this trip included me," I continued.

"For God's sake, Nessie! You are just a child!"

His words shot through me. I immediately felt heavy tears stream down my cheeks. I tried my best to hide them, but couldn't. _Child?_ He still thinks of me as a child…just a little girl? He tried moving closer to me, reaching his hands out.

"I didn't…Nessie, that's not what-" he tried to say.

"Do not touch me," I cut him off.

I walked out of the room and headed towards my bedroom upstairs, slamming the door behind me. I was angry…absolutely maddened. I grabbed the closest object to me and threw it as hard as I could. I looked over to see my I-pod sticking out of the wall, headphones still attached. I flopped down on my bed and buried my face in the pillow.

Throughout the rest of the evening, I had several visitors, Jacob the most frequent, coaxing me to open the door. I refused them all. Even when I was so hungry that human food started to appeal to me, I did not open the door.

The next thing I knew it was morning. My alarm clock rang violently to announce it was such. I looked down at myself realizing that I was still in yesterday's clothes. I took inventory of myself and recognized that I was still furious, which was unusual since I usually slept away anger. I dug through my closet looking for just a plain t-shirt and the worn through jeans I loved to wear. They were tucked far deep in the closet, probably thanks to Alice. When I found them I also stumbled across a small backpack from my childhood long ago. I opened it up to find tons of money and my passport. A thought flashed in my head but I quickly covered it up by remembering how angry I was. I hoped that my father did not catch it. I got dressed quickly and continued to stomp my way downstairs. I wanted to make it clear that I was still very angry.

As I made my way through the kitchen I found my family and the Denali clan standing around the kitchen island. Jacob was there, already dressed for school.

"You don't have to go to school today, if you don't want to. Esme can call you in sick," my mother said.

"I'm not just going to sit around here and worry," I said sharply.

My mother took me in her arms and gave me a tight hug. She pushed the hair out of my face and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"We will be home soon. All of us. I promise you," she said. "I love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

My anger subsided slightly as a new emotion of utter sadness started to creep up. I got passed around the family and embraced by their tight hugs and long goodbyes. My father was last.

"I don't want to leave here with you still angry with me. You must know that I love you so much that I can't bear to bring you anywhere unsafe," my father said.

"I know."

He took me in his arms and gave me a tight hug. He pressed his lips on my forehead.

"I love you very much, Nessie," he whispered.

"Love you too, Dad," I choked out. A single tear dropped from my eye. He let me go and I started to walk towards the door. I hesitated for a second and looked back at all of them.

"It is only you guys that will be going?" I asked.

Nobody answered me. Only Carlisle nodded his head. All of a sudden anger reappeared. I could not believe no one else would fight with them. Chances of them all coming back would be slim. I took a deep breath and turned towards the door.

"I'll drive?" I heard Jacob say behind me.

I continued walking to my car, not looking back.

"I'd rather drive alone," I said harshly.

I heard him stop walking. A pain assaulted my stomach as I began to feel guilty for hurting Jacob so much. I got in my car and sped down the driveway and onto the road as quickly as I could. I looked briefly in the rear view mirror. I saw him still standing in the same place, watching me drive away with those unbearable heartbreaking eyes. I focused back on the road when I couldn't look anymore.

I made it look like I was heading in the direction of school. But as soon as I knew that I was out of range from my father to hear my thoughts or for the rest of my family to realize that I had no intention of ever making it to school, I picked up even more speed and changed courses, heading directly for the airport.

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**I'm already working on the next chapter. Thank you, Z for getting this chapter back to me in record time. I'm impressed! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please continue to review!!! I really love to read what everyone thought of the chapter. Thank you to those you left me long reviews. I love to read them.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you so much for the great reviews. I think I got over 150 last chapter which is CRAZY!! I can't wait for vacation next week as I hope to write more often that what I'm used to. But anyways, hope you like the next chapter. It is slightly longer than most of my chapters…go me. Thanks again to ~Z~ for beta-ing this last chapter as well. Please enjoy!!**

The pilot had just announced the plane would be landing in twenty minutes. Due to the flight being last minute, I unfortunately had two layovers; one in New York and another in France. I was thankful that flashing a charming smile made airport security barely take notice of my passport as I made it through customs. I had the advantage of Alice not being able to see me and I could only hope that my family had not yet figured out I was gone. At least I had a good head start if they tried to stop me. To pass the time while flying, multiple plans of action danced around in my head. The closer I got to reaching my destination, the less confident I became. All I had was the return address from the letter sent to Christian by his sister. So what was I to do? Knock on the front door?

I had been so angry, that I left in a flash. All I knew was that I had to get to Italy. I had to get to that girl that everyone was so afraid of: Jane. I just needed to touch her, and then I could use her own powers against her and also against those who got in my way of rescuing Annabel.

I began to feel sick. What if I failed? I had left Jacob in the worst way. The image of his face was stuck in my head. Every time I closed my eyes, the saddened eyes I saw as I drove away kept reappearing. It was like that moment was burned into the back of my eyelids. I ached for him…for his touch. I desperately wanted to be comforted, to be told that everything was going to be alright. I had to come back home for him.

I couldn't think about what my leaving did to my family, especially my parents. If I made it out of this alive, they were going to kill me.

As I walked off of the plane and made my way through the terminal, I felt lost. I didn't know where to begin or what I was doing. Realization hit me hard…I _am_ a child. What was I thinking? Did I really think I would be able to save Annabel by myself? I made my way outside, taking note of the dreary and cloudy day, looking for a taxi of some sorts, not completely sure where I was going to tell him to take me. I had debated on whether or not to just wait for my parents to arrive in Italy, but I took a deep breath and convinced myself I could do this. All I had to do was touch Jane, simple enough.

I closed my eyes for a minute, taking deep breaths hoping that a better plan would come to me. A sweet smell hit me suddenly. It was not human. My eyes popped open to find to a man with long wavy hair standing in front of me.

"Ah…Nessie," he said. "You know, I just had a feeling you would be here. I shouldn't be surprised that I was right, but I am."

He hovered over me and his dark red eyes, which could be mistaken for a dark burgundy to a human, danced wildly in front of me.

"Aro will be thrilled to see you. He has been having me keep track of your family for some time now," he continued. "You have grown into quite a beautiful woman. Do you remember me? It seems like it was just yesterday the last time I saw you."

Of course I remembered. He was part of Aro's guard. My eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area, looking for a possible escape. I caught glimpses of random eyes in the shadows watching us intensely. I sighed. There would be no way out. Even if I ran, I would be easily caught. Well, I had been looking for a way into Volturria Castle and now I had an escort.

"I am Demetri," he said holding out his hand. I reluctantly placed my hand in his. He smiled, brought my hand to his nose and took a deep breath.

"What a wonderful scent you have. It's so human, yet very different."

He kept a hold of my hand and waved for a car. A black Mercedes with dark tinted windows pulled up immediately. He ushered me into the back seat and followed in after.

As soon as I settled in my seat I noticed the large man sitting in the driver's seat staring at me through the rear view mirror.

"My instincts were right, Felix. I had a feeling she would come alone for the healer," Demetri said with a wide smile.

"Ah, I had no doubt," Felix responded with a large grin on his face. His continued stare made me feel very uncomfortable, so I quickly moved my gaze out the window.

The rest of the drive was silent. I watched the people outside walk around and take in all of the old buildings quickly passing us by. My thoughts were wild and scattered. I could not think of my family and I especially could not think of Jacob. I would not cry here in this car. I would not let them see how scared I was and I would not cower like a small child. I would be strong. In that moment, I decided to pray. I had never really talked to God before, but in the midst of desperation, I was happy to find that I still had hope and I still very much believed in miracles. I knew He would grant me just one more.

As we pulled up to a very old, large building, a black iron-cast gate opened up, allowing Felix to drive down a dark tunnel that led under the building. Finally I saw a bright light growing in the distance. We pulled into what looked like a large ballroom with arch ways throughout. This apparently was their garage. My family's garage could not begin to compare with this one. I had never seen so many different kinds of cars. It seemed they owned anything and everything that was an elite luxury car. And then some! We parked and I slowly got out of the car. I looked up in the ceiling and took in the very large mosaic pictures depicting gods and heaven. I silently snorted. I found it very pretentious to find a room like this used as just a garage.

"Please follow me," Demetri beckoned to me.

We walked through large hallways which were brightly lit and colorful due to the sun shinning through stain glass windows. There were many other vampires wandering about through these halls. The only notice they gave me was a quick glance but went right back to what they were doing. He led me to a large dark wooden door with very intricate carvings. Two large men stood by each side of the door guarding it. One of them opened the door for me.

"Ladies first," Demetri said as he waved his hand, motioning me to proceed through the door.

I walked in only to stop in the middle of the room. It was a very large room. The ceiling was high above and decorated in gold patterns with jewels to highlight. The only windows were stain glass like the ones I had already seen throughout the castle. A large rock fireplace was the main focal point of the room. It was already stirring a fire and I could hear the crackling of the wood. The light of the fire made the dark marble floors sparkle. It was an extravagant bedroom with ironically no bed. Though there was a large velvet chaise in the center of the room.

"This is your room," Demetri said.

"My room?"

"Yes, Aro had made sure it was ready for your arrival. We took the liberty of getting everything you need; clothes and such. Please let us know if you need anything else."

I shook my head at him, my eyebrows furrowed together.

"I have no intention of staying here that long," I said.

"Is the room not up to your standards?" He puzzled, not hearing my true meaning. I couldn't help but take inventory of no bed. You would have thought they would have done their research, known that I slept and therefore needed a bed.

"No, I only came for Annabel and I have every intention of returning home."

"Aro will be disappointed. He was so looking forward to you being a new edition to our family. Maybe Chelsea can change your mind."

There was silence as I glared at him. I would not stay here and this most defiantly was not a family. I knew what I would be to the Volturi and I refused to become a collector's item. Felix walked around me, running his gaze up and down my body. I shivered because his gaze revolted me. What did Gianna see in him? His stare was utterly sinister.

"So beautiful…and rare," he murmured.

He took his finger and brushed the side of my face with it. I pulled my head away.

"Hmm…I wonder…what a prize it would be to keep you," he said softly.

I cringed at his words.

"You'd probably get bored with me and toss me aside…just like you did with Gianna?" I asked. "Was she not worth keeping?"

"Ahh…of course you would know about Gianna. What can I say? I'm not very good at breaking up with people. I hate how awkward the confrontations are. I figured it would be best if she just didn't exist anymore, therefore avoiding any uncomfortable moment for myself. Don't worry though. She had been pleased when I first took a bite. I don't think it was until the very end of her dull life that she realized I had no intention of stopping."

I glared at him.

"You should rest before you are called upon. Aro will be pleased to see you," Demetri said as he made his way out the door while Felix hung behind.

"Come, Felix. You'll have many more opportunities to win her heart later," Demetri said sarcastically.

"Goodbye beautiful," he said to me as he gave me one last look and winked.

I watched him walk out the door and closed it. I felt utterly hopeless. I pushed the velvet chaise towards the fire. As I lay gazing into the fire, my head supported on the arm rest, I tried hard to not cry. I held it in, knowing that there were ears everywhere. I did not want them to hear me. Instead I closed my eyes and concentrated on the heat of the fire. It reminded me of Jacob.

I badly missed him. It was an indescribable ache. I felt sick. If this was it, the end of me, I wished I just had one more moment to tell him how much he meant to me. But most of all, I wished I had one more chance to apologize to him. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for taking myself away from him. It was cruel the way I had left and I only hoped that my family did not allow him to come after me.

I don't know how long it had been when the deafening, blood curdling scream made my eyes shoot open. It was like I was back in my nightmare. It was excruciating to hear. It was relentless and would not stop. I tried covering my ears and burying my head in the corner of the arm rest but I couldn't block it out. My heart came to an abrupt stop when I realized just who I was listening to. It was Annabel.

~*~*~

The screaming went on all throughout the night. It would cease for a couple of hours and then it would pick up all over again.

"She can't change!!! Stop torturing her!!" I screamed for hours.

I awoke to find myself lying on the floor in front of the fire. I must have passed out. I don't know how long it had been since I'd first come to this room; all I knew is that the screaming had ceased for the moment. I heard the door click open and looked up to find Demetri standing in the entry way.

"Follow me," he said.

I got up from the floor and quickly followed behind him. We made our way through the bright hallways that were now becoming dark and cold. He led me to a large door, which once opened, gave way to a large castle turret. The two story high ceilings and slit windows were meant to make the room seem light and airy, however it made me shiver. I stared around at the people, who were socializing amongst themselves; who would occasionally take a glance back at me and then continue along with their conversations. My eyes focused on the three men who were sitting in the large massive wooden thrones.

My gaze followed to the boy who was standing next to the thrones and the small girl, Jane, who stood next to him. The boy was Christian…only changed. His skin was pale and cold; his features were more sharp and angular. But the part most eerie were his eyes. They were bright crimson red and were staring at me with such frenzy and longing. He was a newborn and I was the most enticing thing in the room. He seemed to be too full of blood lust to be surprised to see me here, or Aro had already told him what my family was. The only thing that was seemed to be stopping him from attacking me was Jane. He would slightly step forward but then cringe back to his spot. Jane had a smirk on her face as she noticed my gaze at two of them. All I had to do was touch her, then I could wipe that grin off her face.

In front of them, a marble alter held Annabel. She lay on top of it unconscious, but with her heart still beating and chest still rising with breath. I ran to her side and found her in worse condition than I had feared. She was pale, her breath coming out in a hiss. Her hair was matted on her face from the sweat. I took note of her arm that had many bite marks up and down that were slowly trying to heal.

"Renesme, what a surprise! Demetri, how I truly appreciate your wonderful gift. Look at what it has brought us," He, who I recognized as Aro, spoke.

He got up from his chair to walk towards me. His face wore a bright smile and his arms were held out as if expectant for my embrace. As I scowled at him, he slowly dropped his arms.

"She can't be changed," I said sharply.

"I've noticed. And trust me we have tried many…many…many times."

I cringed.

"How is the Cullen clan doing? I should visit more often."

"The Cullen _Family_ is doing well."

"I'm glad to hear." He took a step on the other side of Annabel, glancing down at her. "I should have known it would be Carlisle who would stumble upon the Healer. It seems that he has all the luck, doesn't he?" he chuckled.

"Please… let her go. You have no use for her," I pleaded.

"I'm not quite so convinced," he mused.

"Christian, how could you?" I whispered as I turned my head to him. I knew now he could hear what I was saying. His eyes met mine. His face was in complete agony. He took his head in his hands and shook it back and forth.

"I didn't know it was like this…I didn't know what I was going to become. I just wanted to keep her forever," he struggled.

"She wasn't yours to keep!" I screamed. "You brought her to this hell, just so you could become immortal?!"

"I didn't know she couldn't be changed!" he yelled. "I thought we could change together. Then she would choose me."

"What if they just killed you? Just like they killed your sister? Did you even think of that?"

"My sister had _nothing_ to offer!! I had Annabel!"

He lunged for me only to drop to the ground quickly writhing in pain. I looked over to Jane who had an angelic smile on her face.

"Enough. I'm growing tired of this quarrel. Please Renesme, I'm curious to see how well you have been doing," Aro said as he held his hands out.

I took a deep breath. It seemed as though I had no choice. I slowly made my way to him and lightly placed my hands in his. I watched the memories that flashed in his mind. He was leaving none of my thoughts private to me. He saw everything…all of my happy moments with my family and then every kiss, every intimate moment I had shared with Jacob. Anger flashed through me as he took everything secretly precious to me. I grabbed harder on to his hands and stole his power. I wanted to take away from him what he was taking away from me and what he had took from everyone else that he ever touched. Dark memories began shifting quickly through my mind. I saw everything…even his deepest secret. As soon as he realized what I did, I heard a loud smack and felt a strong sting on my face. I fell over, catching myself quickly with my hands. I rubbed my face, the pain reminding me just how much human was apart of me. My eyes shifted quickly to Marcus, who stood with no emotion but just a tired gaze on me. _He doesn't know_, I thought.

"Stupid girl," Aro spat as he glared at me. I watched him silently as his eyes that had been filled with hatred for me suddenly shifted back again to no hint of anger at all. He was truly Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

"What a magnificent development in your power." he said as if nothing transpired between us. "You are absolutely brilliant. It makes me wonder…" His eyes shifted towards Annabel.

I slowly pulled myself up from the ground and walked towards Annabel. I looked down to find she was gradually waking up.

"Nessie?" she said softly. I struggled to smile and nodded towards her. I grabbed her arm and rubbed it lightly.

"Caius, I think we should try again," Aro said.

My head shot up towards them as I watched Caius walk over to us. I felt Annabel flinch and shake under my fingers.

"Why do you insist on torturing her?! What is it that you want?!" I cried.

"A new idea has come to me…an idea that you Renesme have inspired," he said.

It hit me hard; the realization of what I had inspired him to do. All of the pieces suddenly coming together like a perfect puzzle. Everything was in place. I began to recognize the prophecy, that Eleazer was so afraid of fulfilling, come to life. I should not have come. My rash decision may not have been so rash, but inevitable or destined. If I had not come to try and rescue Annabel, if I would have just stayed home, I would have then saved her.

I watched Caius as he took her arm in his mouth and bit Annabel once more. I watched her look up at me with panic stricken eyes. The pain shot through her right away. Her eyes squeezed tight as she started to scream.

"Please….make it stop!" she screamed.

"I wonder. If you were able to take her power away for a moment…just enough so she couldn't heal herself, then could she be changed?"

I looked down at her. What or who would she become? I asked myself. How would this lead to the greatest war the world had ever seen?

"I can't," I said. "She can't change. You don't understand what will happen."

"You will do as I ask," he said simply.

I looked down at Annabel who was in utter agony.

"Don't you want to take the pain away?" he asked. "Let the change happen and it will go away soon enough."

"I can't!" I screamed.

"Do it!" he yelled back.

It was silent with only Annabel's struggles crying out.

"Please…" she struggled to say. "Please…Nessie."

My eyes flickered. I couldn't let this happen, I couldn't let the prophecy fulfill itself. So many mistakes I've made, I thought. I desperately wished I had not come. Where was my miracle?

"Bring me the dog," Aro said suddenly.

"No," I whispered. It couldn't be. I prayed that I was wrong. But I wasn't. I watched as they dragged Jacob in, still in human form and badly beaten. Those saddened eyes, that I had left back home, looked even worse. He struggled to just stand on his own. Blood ran from his forehead down to his chin.

"Please let him go," I begged. Heavy tears rolled down my face.

"Jane," Aro said.

I watched Jacob drop to the ground and moan in pain. I started to run towards him but was held back by the guards.

"Stop!" I screamed at Jane. Her eyes caught mine, as if the desperation on my face amused her so much, her smirk turned into a full grin, her bright teeth gleamed from the reflecting light. Her eyes flicked to Jacob and inflicted more pain onto him. I could hear his struggles become more difficult.

When Aro put his hand up signaling Jane to stop, Jacob was left panting on the floor, trying to recover.

"Renesme…." Aro said motioning to Annabel. She was still laying there withering in pain.

"I can't," I choked.

Jacob began moaning again. I watched him struggle to hold in the pain. He didn't want me to see him weak. I couldn't watch anymore. They were going to kill him.

It was becoming clear to me what a monster I really was. I could stand here and watch Annabel suffer, if I knew that it would be for a greater good like preventing a war. But I could not watch Jacob suffering. I would do anything to make it stop. As I pressed my hand on Annabel's arm to remove her healing powers, the thought of how far I would go to keep Jacob forever truly frightened me.

I felt the light that had continued to heal her slowly move its way to me. Caius and Aro, who hovered over her body, watched the venom take over fast. If possible, she started screaming louder. Everyone who looked onto her was taken aback at how quickly the change was happening. Had all the times she had been bitten but recovered made the process go quicker? Was it because there may have still been venom in her system? Swiftly her skin became hard and cold as ice. I heard her heart take off like a hummingbird's wings. The features on her body became more angular and symmetrical. Than all of a sudden, her heart stopped. She lay there very still, eyes closed shut. I let go of her and her power shifted back into her body. There was a light glow that projected off of her but quickly faded. I wondered if I had just killed her.

"Let them go, Aro," said a voice in the back.

I turned my head to the voice. It was Carlisle. Next to him stood my parents; followed by the rest of my family, Seth and Leah and the Denali Clan; all ushered in by Demetri and Felix.

"Carlisle! My dear friend, you have come for a visit." Aro said with his fake enthusiasm.

I caught my mother's eye and noticed her frantic look back at me. My father was holding her back because I knew she was desperate to get me in her arms and take me away. He was afraid she would do something rash. That must be were I get it from. I looked at her with remorseful eyes, trying to apologize for what I had done.

"Let them go," my father growled.

"I'm afraid that they are no longer yours to keep," Aro simply stated.

It happened more quickly than I thought possible. I watched my family immediately crouch, ready to fight; while Leah and Seth phased, ready for battle themselves. The guards equally prepared to spring and stood their ground against them. The silence was deafening as each side waited to see who would make the first move. It seemed as though the battle of the wits would not be a part of this game. There would be no reasoning this time.

I noticed a foot of one of the guards move slightly forward, but turned as a loud scream came from behind me. This time it was not Annabel. I looked over to find Caius pressed against the wall, held up in the air. He was screaming in utter agony, as if it was Jane using her powers over him. Everyone stared, taking in the sight of what was happening. Annabel was below him, glaring up with her hand raised in the air, as if it was she who was holding him there. As quickly as she dropped her hand, Caius fell to the ground. A loud thump echoed the room as he hit the floor. He continued to remain still, eyes closed as if he was dead. This was unsettling to see. Vampires needed to be torn apart, ripped into pieces and burned to ashes to be destroyed. He simply laid there as if he was a dead human.

"Brilliant," I heard Aro say.

My eyes flicked from Caius to Annabel. She was in a crouch ready to spring. I took in her new appearance. She was no longer soft and warm but stunningly beautiful. Her bright red eyes were focused solely on me. Her contagious smile, the one that made everyone want to be a part of her world, was gone, and I briefly wondered if I would ever see it again. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she took a deep breath. Her glare became fervent towards me. I took a step back towards my family, because I suddenly remembered that she _too_ was a newborn. And I was _still_ the most delicious thing in the room.

**I know you hate me right now…with the cliff hanger. But I can't help it and I want you to be excited for the next chapter, so that you will come back! I have already started the next chapter, so I will post it as soon as I can. It depends on how much Christmas projects I get myself into. I did finish all of my shopping though…only returns now. Anyways, please leave a review and let me know what you think. They defiantly motivate me to keep on writing. I like the extra push. ******


	23. Chapter 23

**Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. I'm afraid to say there is only one more chapter left…sort of one that leads into my next story. This one will be in Leah's point of view, so I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed this one. I apologize for not getting this story up by Christmas…better late than never! This is by far the longest chapter I have written, so hopefully it makes it up to you guys. **

**Thanks again to my beta, ~*~Z~*~. You are awesome! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It may have been too fast, too quick for human eyes to catch; but for me, it was like watching it in slow motion. My heart sank as I watched Annabel's eyes hungrily stare at me. It was like looking at a complete stranger. She had crouched down, waiting to pounce on me. I took a slight step back, not entirely sure what to do. She would catch me if I ran and she was too strong for me to push away. I braced myself.

"Nessie!" I heard my mother scream.

My eyes shifted once to my parents; their panic stricken eyes made it hard to look away. I quickly moved my eyes to Jacob who met my glance for a less than a split second. I blinked once and when I looked again, he was already in the air. Clothes tore from his body and fur exploded everywhere. He landed between Annabel and me, in full wolf form. He faced Annabel, with all of his teeth bared and the deep growl from his chest made my heart halt for a moment.

Only two of my heart beats had passed. Everything was happening now as if it was a dream. Blurry, but I could see every detail. Fast but everything that was registering in my mind was moving slowly. Annabel lunged towards Jacob, signaling for the fight to begin. Before she could get to Jacob she was side swiped by Jasper and Emmett. It was clear that they were not fighting her, only holding her back.

"Get her!" Aro said and pointed in my direction. The guards slowly closed in on Jacob as he took steps backwards pinning me against the wall. I could tell that these guards were unsure of fighting a creature that they were not experienced with. It was just him between the guards and me. As Jacob let out a deafening roar, one of them lunged first. I watched in awe but found myself paralyzed for a moment in utter fear as he fought them all. I looked towards my parents. My mother concentrating very hard, I'm sure using her shield to protect us all. My father was fighting off her attackers so that she could focus on the task. I had not realized how good she had gotten controlling her power as many of us were moving so fast. Could she protect us all? My eyes dragged across the room and found Seth in wolf form running fast towards Christian. Emmett and Jasper were trying to fight, along with still keeping Annabel away from me. Everyone else was moving too fast for me to take it all in. I knew we were going to lose. I didn't know how long we would be able to hold everyone off; or how long it would be before we would lose one of our own. I saw Jane in the far corner of the room. She was useless and I could see the fear in her eyes. She most likely never saw a fight before, probably because she was always there to prevent any type of challenge. Confrontations never got this far.

"Jacob!" I screamed at him. "I have to get to Jane! I have to try!"

As if he could read my thoughts he somehow created an opening for me to run through. I took off running towards her, moving as fast as I could. Jacob was trailing close beside me as he pushed off my attackers.

I abruptly came to a halt as Christian was thrown in front of me. Seth came barreling towards him, then pounced. He growled and snapped his teeth at Christian's neck, while Christian tried to hold Seth back. As I jumped over them, I heard a whimper and saw Christian's teeth graze quickly over Seth's shoulder. I tried to push myself harder, to run faster, but it felt as though I was running through water. As hard as I pushed, I couldn't help but feel I was too slow. I felt a sudden grab on my arm. I turned to see who grabbed me, and locked eyes with one of the guards. I noticed the arm that once had a hold of me was no longer attached to his body. Instead it was in Jacob's mouth. I kept running without missing another beat, jumping over people and dodging other fights or attackers. I heard Emmett scream for Rosalie as she flew across the room and smashed against the wall. An adrenaline rush burst through me. I was almost there; the only person standing in my way was her brother Alec. I prepared myself to fight him to get to Jane, but before I could even brace myself, he was taken out by Jacob. It was then that I looked into her eyes. The once cocky and evil red glare that tinted them was now looking up at me in utter fear. It was then I saw a flash of innocence in her. It was like she was just a young girl, new to world, all over again. I grabbed onto her shoulders with both hands, closed my eyes tightly and concentrated on everyone who was in the room, hoping that my mom was shielding everyone who was on our side. I knew it was working when Jane let out a horrific scream…along with everyone else.

I opened my eyes to find myself looking into Jane's terrified stare. I glared at her, remembering the pain she had inflicted on Jacob.

"Please," she begged. "Please stop."

I wanted to laugh. I couldn't believe she had the nerve to even ask; especially when she would have never extended the same courtesy to me or anyone else for that matter. It made me furious; absolutely maddened me. I squeezed her arms tighter and inflicted more pain just onto her. The louder her screams became the harder I pushed the pain. I wanted to torture her the way she had done to my family, to anyone else that had been innocent. I saw her in Aro's mind. Many of the people who were part of the Volturi were not held here by their own free will, but by Chelsea's power. Jane was one of the few who were here due to her own choice. She would do anything to please Aro. She relished being his favorite and having the powers to bend people to her will. I wanted to take her power away, so that she couldn't' hurt anyone else. I imagined it, reaching inside her and pulling it out.

"Renesmee!" my father shouted over Jane's screams. "That's enough!"

I ignored him and continued to focus on Jane.

I could almost feel her power moving its way out of her. When she gasped, my eyes shot open and I let go over her. We stared at each other, not quite sure what transpired between us. She was panting but continued to glare at me.

"Bitch," she muttered. My eyes narrowed at her and she fell to the ground moaning in pain.

My eyes went wide as I realized what I did…without touching her. I looked up to my family who were all looking curiously at me. I quickly took inventory of everyone, first Jacob, then my parents, the rest of my family, Annabel, who had stopped struggling but was being held by Jasper and Carlisle and then the Denali clan. Some were hurt, but nothing serious enough that it would not heal, all except Seth and Christian. My eyes grazed over each family member and friend, then quickly moved to Christian; rather pieces of Christian scattered around. My gaze finally settled on the wolf that was lying on the floor, barely moving except for some slight breathing. Leah was next to him, pushing him softly with her nose.

"Seth!" Annabel cried out. She ran over to him easily breaking away from Carlisle and Jasper but abruptly stopped. She stood there, her hand on her throat.

"You can fight it, Annabel. Just don't breathe," Carlisle said.

She shook her head at herself.

"I can't…I'm…so thirsty," she moaned.

Leah stood their defensively in front of Seth. Carlisle walked up behind Annabel slowly.

"He is still breathing. You can do this, control yourself and you can save him," he said quietly to her.

Everyone stood still. I looked around quickly at the Volturi, who were standing still as statues, daring them to make a move so that I could try out this new power I had somehow acquired.

"How long does he have?" Carlisle asked Jacob.

"He doesn't know. No one has ever_ just_ been bitten," my father said for Jacob.

"Can Annabel still heal?" my mother asked.

"There is only one way to find out," Carlisle said. "Annabel, we don't know how much time he has."

Her face seemed determined. She moved forward, but was met with Leah's hesitancy.

"Please let me save him," Annabel choked out.

As Annabel knelt beside him, Seth struggled to lift his head up slightly and then placed himself in her lap. We all watched, slightly shocked, not really knowing how he would react to her being a vampire or how Annabel would now react to him. She lightly stroked the fur on his head with one hand and placed the other on his shoulder where it was bit. She closed her eyes tightly as if to concentrate. We all watched Seth as his once shallow breaths became deeper and fuller. I took a deep breath of my own as I realized that she still had the power to heal.

I looked back at Aro, who was burning with rage, watching the power that took him so long to build easily fall apart within hours. He launched at Carlisle, wanting to rip his throat out. I immediately used my new power and watched him fall to the ground.

"Stop Nessie," Carlisle said turning to me. "If Aro is set to fight me, I want it to be an equal one."

Esme whimpered as Alice tried to hold her back.

Aro slowly moved his way back up off the ground and into a crouch. He snarled at Carlisle.

"I'm sorry it has come to this my friend," Aro muttered.

"This is no fault but your own. You can walk away, continue to lead the Volturi and protect our kind. But you must do so the right way."

Aro laughed.

"Who are you to tell me how to lead?" Aro screamed.

Carlisle didn't answer but instead crouched down in anticipation of the fight. Aro then launched at him quickly. As fast as he grabbed him, Carlisle kicked him off and Aro went flying into the wall.

"It's been a while since you had to fight, old man?" Carlisle said.

Aro growled and launched again, this time slamming Carlisle into the opposite wall.

"I'm just a little rusty. Trust that I will be the one to walk away and you will be the one left in burning pieces," Aro spat as he held Carlisle at the wall.

Carlisle kicked him off, launching him back once more, and then prepared to pounce again. I heard the sound of crashing boulders as I watched him punch Aro in the face. My body shuddered with each loud crash, each punch and each kick. I couldn't watch and yet I also couldn't peel my eyes away. I was waiting till it looked like Carlisle would lose, so I could use Jane's power. Screw honorable, the Volturi never fought fair and neither would I. I was relieved to see it was Carlisle winning. I watched Aro scream in pain as Carlisle ripped an arm out of Aro's body.

"Give up?! You only have one arm to defend yourself! I don't have to take the other!" Carlisle yelled at him.

Aro launched again. He tried to fight harder, but was unable to do so with just one arm. I suddenly heard a growl and watched Aro's other arm fly across the room.

"Marcus!" Aro screamed.

As if on cue, Marcus moved to stand between them; ready to defend Aro. I shook my head. Marcus didn't know who he was defending. This was not done in his own free will. In the slight pause of the fight, I took action.

"Marcus!" I screamed as I ran to him. "Aro killed Didyme!! He took her away from you!"

He turned to me quickly, his face showing emotion for the first time…shock.

I was almost to him when the guards grabbed me. I quickly used my new power making them fall to the ground and placed my hand on Marcus's arm. I showed him exactly what I saw in Aro's head. Didyme's scared face as she realized Aro's plan to kill her. He and I shuddered as we both relived her painful screams for Marcus to save her as her own brother tore her apart. Tears dripped lightly from my eyes and I slowly removed my hand from his arms. His eyes were too painful to look at. It was as if he would crumble right there. I knew then that the tie Chelsea had put on it, had immediately broke. How easy her magic ties broke however, it seemed that ties of love held stronger than ever.

"She was your own sister," Marcus choked out. His eyes building with rage, he launched at Aro not waiting for a response. I looked away as Marcus tore Aro's remaining limps away. His screams were abruptly stopped as I assumed Marcus ripped off his head. A deafening moan and scream came out of Marcus. I looked back to watch him drop to floor. A heart wrenching sob broke from the man and he doubled over in pain. The man, who never showed emotion, was gripping over in pain as if I was using Jane's power. He clung to the floor, shaking and moaning for his loved one. We all stood in silence. We did not know what to do.

"Chelsea," Carlisle said. "Break the ties."

The woman who had been hiding in the corner looked unsure. Her eyes darted to the guard and Marcus and then back to Carlisle.

"Chelsea…don't make me ask again," he said in a more stern voice.

Her eyes once again went back to Aro who lay on the floor in pieces and then again to Carlisle. She couldn't make up her mind what to do.

"Nessie," my father said as he looked at me then back at Chelsea. I knew what he was asking me to do. I focus my attention to her, inflicting just a slight pain to move things along more quickly. She doubled over slightly in a moan. I watched certain members of the Volturi, with once focused faces, look like they just woke up from bad dream. I was surprised that Alec also had the same expression. I would have guessed that he was here under his own free will. I must have missed that when I was looking into Aro's mind.

Carlisle moved slightly forward and placed his hand on Marcus's shoulder. Marcus flinched slightly at the contact.

"It's over, my friend," Carlisle said softly.

"Not quite… but it will be," Marcus whispered. He slowly got up and made his way to Annabel who was still on the ground with Seth. He knelt next to her, taking her hands in his own. Seth, now healthy, got up and backed slightly away from them, never taking his eyes off Annabel.

"Annabel, what an amazing gift you have," he said softly. "Please, will you give me some sort of peace from all of this?"

Her eyes went wide as she started to realize what he was asking her to do.

"I need to see her again. This is the only possible way."

Marcus lay on the floor beside her. Annabel looked to Carlisle and the rest of my family not knowing quite what to do. Carlisle's solemn face nodded ever so softly. She placed both her hands on Marcus's chest while he laid there with his eyes closed. I watched his mouth turn into an ever so slight smile as Annabel closed her eyes. She took a sharp breath and moved her hands away. I looked at Marcus, hoping that his smile was an indication that he had now finally found his love, Didyme.

"Is he dead?" my mother asked softly. Annabel simply nodded her head.

There was absolute silence as everyone gathered the pieces and bodies together to burn. We watched as they became engulfed by flames. I stood on my own, staring into the fire. I made sure I kept a good safe distance away Annabel, who seemed to be able to control herself...for now. Emmett and Carlisle watched her closely out of the corner of their eyes while holding their loved ones in their arms. I watched Alice as she brought Jacob a backpack and placed it in his mouth. His eyebrows slightly rose as if to question it.

"It doesn't take a psychic to know you were going to need clothes. You're lucky I remembered. It would probably be uncomfortable to travel naked," she said. He walked out of the room with the backpack with Leah and Seth following closely behind him. Alice walked back to Jasper who immediately took her into his arms and rested his face on the top of her head. When I looked away, I caught my mother and father's eyes. I bit my lip as I watched them walked over to me. I braced myself for the yelling I was about to receive, but instead was taken aback when I found myself in their arms. They both embraced me tightly.

"Don't ever….ever…._ever_ do that to us again," my father said softly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as tears started to stream down my face. As I wiped them away, I looked up and caught Jacob's eye over my mother's shoulder. My heart stuttered. It didn't look like I would be able to win his forgiveness as easily. He stood there, now in jeans and a t-shirt, staring at me with those same painful eyes that I had left; but now there was a mixture of anger in them as well. My parents let me go, moving slightly away from me. Jacob stood next to the fire and I watched the light of the flames flicker against his dark skin. He did not move, but continued to just stand there watching me. I was too much of a coward to move. It felt like my feet were glued to the floor making it unable to move. It was as if it was only us here. He finally walked over to me, his stare not letting go of me but then paused a couple of feet away.

"How could you just go? How could you just take yourself away from me?" he asked. One small tear dropped from his eye.

"I…I just don't know. Jake, I'm_ so_ sorry," I choked out. My tears were streaming down more heavily than before.

"What were you thinking, Nessie?" he said as a little anger started to poke through.

"I don't know," I said again.

"I thought I lost you forever. Do you even know what that did to me? Can you even grasp how much you mean to me?" His voice becoming angrier with each line he spoke.

I didn't answer him. How could I? I looked into his eyes, not caring to wipe any more tears that were down pouring on my face now.

"God Nessie," he muttered. I looked down at his hands that were slightly shaking realizing how upset he was becoming. "You're everything to me. _Everything_. Do you know that you almost took everything away from me?"

I couldn't take it anymore. I began to realize that I may have just lost what was most important to me. Maybe I had screwed up so badly that he didn't want me anymore. Putting my head in my hands, I sobbed harder.

"I'm so sorry, Jake," I said begged through my cries. "Please…just don't leave me. Please still love me…please."

I felt his warm body crash into mine as he held on to me tightly. I didn't think it was possible, but I started to cry harder as I buried my face in his chest. His face rested on top of my head as he lightly stroked the back of my hair.

"I can never leave you. Can't you tell? I'd follow you to the ends of the earth…even to death."

I sniffled and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand to look up at him. He pushed the wet strands of my hair out of my face and helped me wipe some of the tears away.

"I love you…will always love you. I'm afraid there is nothing you can do to get rid of me," he said and for the first time I saw a slight smile form on his lips.

"I love you _so much_ Jake," I said wishing that there were words to even come close to how much he meant to me.

He bent down and I felt his warm soft lips lightly place onto mine. It felt so good that I pressed myself harder onto him. Not feeling close enough, I jumped up and wrapped my legs around him. I didn't care that my family was there or if that they could see. I needed him. I kissed him as deeply as I could, weaving my fingers around his neck to pull myself closer. I felt his arm press me closer to him as he held me up. I could hear a slight growl come from behind me. Jacob started to chuckle and I pulled slightly away to catch my breath.

"It would be unfortunate to come this far and survive, only to be killed by your father," Jacob said jokingly. He let me down ever so slightly then embraced me tightly once more.

I looked over to Annabel and Seth only standing a foot away from each other. They looked as if they were studying each other. I watched as he reached over and traced his finger lightly across her cheek.

"Your touch…it slightly burns," she said softly. He quickly moved his finger away.

"It doesn't bother me," she said hastily to him with a slight smile.

He then continued to trace his finger across her face.

"It's like ice," Seth said. When Annabel started to frown he continued, "But I don't mind."

"I still love you," said Annabel closing her eyes to Seth's touch, "do you still love me?"

"Of course I still love you. What I imprinted on is the core inside of you," he said pointing at her chest. "You may have changed physically, but who you are at the heart, that soul is what I imprinted on."

Annabel opened her eyes and smiled.

"We just have to be careful?" she asked.

"Yes," Seth nodded and smiled back at her. "If being with you for eternity means all we have to do is be careful, than I have no complaints."

Seth carefully took her hand in his while they stared into each other's eyes.

"Does the death of Marcus, Aro and Caius mean there is no longer a threat of a war?" I heard Emmett ask.

I turned around as we all stood around together, my family, Denali clan and the rest of other vampires who had once belonged to the Volturi.

"I'm afraid not," Eleazer said. "The news of the death of the Volturi leaders will ignite the war. Unfortunately, no matter how many bad intentions the Volturi had, they were what kept the peace. "

Alice stood silently, staring into space. Her eyes became fearful and she brought herself back to the present.

"What did you see, Alice?" Jasper asked.

"The greatest war we have ever seen. It will be a fight for power, for who will take the Volturi's spot. It will between those who will side with us, those who will side with the Romanians….and the werewolves."

"Werewolves? Us?" Leah asked.

Alice shook her head.

"No, not shape shifters. Werewolves," Alice said.

"When?" my father asked.

Alice shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. There are too many factors on when everything meets head to head. Maybe a hundred years, fifty years or maybe only ten. It will take a while for each side's army to grow."

We all looked around at each other and I felt myself plummeting in guilt.

"Do not place yourself in the blame Nessie," my father said. "You alone did not cause this."

"But I should of-" I started but was cut off by Eleazer.

"As I should have," Eleazer said turning his gaze towards Annabel. I knew he was referring to killing Annabel when he should of.

"The choices that we made were not evil ones, but were with good intentions. Do not punish yourself because you came to save your friend; as I will not punish myself for not killing an innocent child for a fate she did not know," Eleazer said to me.

"There are things you just can't change. No matter how many different choices or paths you choose," Alice said as her eyes landed on my parents. "Some things are just fate and are destined to happen, whether you like it or not. If it didn't happen this way, it would have found another path."

We all stood in silence, thinking of the unavoidable future that would be soon barring down on all of us.

~*~*~*~

It was weird returning home; especially returning to school. I often glanced at Annabel's old seat, missing my best friend terribly. Though, I knew that soon we would see each other. When we came back home, we thought it was best for her not to return to school, for obvious reasons. From the reports that we had received from the Denali clan she was doing fantastically. She traveled with the Denali clan to their remote home in Alaska; away from humans so she can practice control. I learned that she was doing very well with the help of Seth who had moved there with her. Though, there had been a few accidents all of them fortunately and unfortunately including only Seth. I'm sure it was far more Seth's fault if anything. Being physical with each other sometimes got out of hand, luckily Annabel could heal him back to health.

It was nice though to talk to her on the phone. I remembered one of our first conversations:

_"So what's it like now?" I asked her._

_"What is what like now?"_

_"Your power, obviously." _

_"Pretty much the same…only different." She laughed. "I don't know. It's like I can control the light more. I don't necessarily have to touch it anymore. I can use my hand to push it away, pull it close, make it become brighter to heal or crush it out of existence. Seth has been pretty cool about letting me experiment with him."_

_"Wow…" I said. "Pretty cool."_

_"How about you?" she asked._

_"What about me?"_

_"Have you been stealing anymore powers?"_

_"No," I laughed. "I think Jane's old power pretty much trumps anything else."_

_"That poor girl," Annabel said sarcastically. "I wonder what she does now that she no longer has her power."_

_"Hmm… I don't know. Hopefully she is taking the time to repent. God knows she needs to. Lucky for her that her bother is still loyal to her because I'm sure there are many people who want revenge. I think he is the only reason why they are staying away."_

_She laughed and there was a slight pause on the phone. There was something I had been dying to ask her._

_"Hey Annabel, there is something that I've been curious to ask."_

_"Shoot."_

_"Well I was wondering…do you think you can heal a vampire back to a human?"_

_I heard a sudden crash come from Rosalie and Emmett's room._

_Annabel sighed on the phone._

_"No, that would be impossible," she said. "How can I explain it?? Hmm….it would be like turning a butterfly back into a caterpillar. Does that make sense to you?"_

_"Yeah, kind of."_

I looked forward to the school year ending. We only had one more week left. My family planned on moving as soon as we finished this year up. With the disappearance of Christian and then Annabel, who became an enigma to the city when it was found out that she had no parents and lived alone, we thought it would be best to start over some place new before any suspicions arise.

Jake and I, as well as the rest of the family planned on taking a few trips to Alaska to visit Seth and Annabel. I was really excited to see her again. I'd be good practice for her, since I smelled sort of like a human. I couldn't wait for time to pass and her to become more controlled. I knew once Annabel was ready they would join us all once again. I was looking forward to having our friendship back to normal or as close to normal as it use to be.

The pack continued to keep growing; I'm sure in preparation for the war. New members were joining Jacob's pack and would soon move along with us. My father and Carlisle had plans on building a whole neighborhood to house all of us once we decided to where to stay.

I didn't worry so much about the future. Right now, it was like the quiet before the storm. I relished the moment of peace that we were in. Because there had some small uprisings here or there, my family became the temporary Volturi of some sorts; to eliminate situations before they got out of hand. They no longer left me behind in these types of battles. It was all too obvious now how valuable I was.

So here I was, once again, flying through the air on the swing that Jacob had made for me and he was once again taunting me to jump in the water. It was officially summer; I could smell it in the air. It seemed everything had come full circle. It felt very much the same but also very different. I looked into the water and at Jacob floating on his back, his eyes closed taking in the all of the sun. The sun bounced off the water and the light twinkled onto his skin.

"You're going to get sunburned, Jacob," I said to him.

"I'll heal," he shrugged his shoulders but still kept his eyes closed.

As I swung, I let the tops of my toes lightly dip in the water as I flicked water with them at Jake.

His nose scrunched up and he opened his eyes to look at me.

"Why does it take you forever to get in the water?" he asked me. He lightly flicked water up at me as I swung up and down, flashing me that perfect smile of his. His teeth were so bright against his tan skin.

"I'm trying to get a good height here," I said trying to swing a little harder. I was working up to a major cannonball.

"You've been at it for half an hour. You can't get that much higher," He said.

I enjoyed myself more when I would swing and he would float in the water. I loved to just swing and watch him, all the while thinking how lucky I am that he is mine…all mine. I could touch him whenever I wanted and kiss him whenever I wanted. Closing my eyes, I pushed myself off of the swing and tucked myself into the ball before I hit the water. I landed right next to him. Before I made it to the surface, I felt warm arms wrap around my waist and keep me under the water. I opened my eyes just before I felt Jacob's lips crash into mine. We slowly floated our way back up to the surface, our lips still pressed together.

"Nessie, I love you. I love you so much," he said keeping his tight hold around my waist. I pressed myself a little tighter against him. Our faces only half an inch away.

"I love you so much too silly," I said as I gave him a quick peck.

"No, I mean, I _really_ love you."

"I _really_ love you too," I said laughing.

"I love you so much, that I can't wait."

I raised my eyebrows slightly.

"I mean….I can wait….just not for this part," he struggled to say. I looked back at him even more confused. He chuckled lightly as he began to fish out something out of the pocket of his board shorts. I watched as his hand came out of the water with a now wet small velvet box. He opened it to show it to me. There sat the most beautiful round cut diamond, surrounded by smaller diamonds that danced around the silver band.

"I know that we are going to have to wait till your real 18th birthday until we can officially get married. But I figured, if there was no real reason to wait for the things in between well…why wait, right?" He chuckled nervously in front of me.

I still looked at him slightly confused and slightly more in awe.

"I just…the term girlfriend can't possibly describe what you mean to me and well, even though fiancé isn't that much better, its um, closer, I guess," he continue to babble on. "I love you…so much. And I promise to love you forever…for the rest of our existence and even after eternity ends. I couldn't wait any longer to get my ring on your finger. I don't care if it's an 11 year engagement. So please Nessie, will you marry me?"

My heart stuttered ever so slightly. I looked into his eyes, as the light from the water hit them. He looked nervous, as if he truly believed I might say no. I bit my bottom lip trying to keep myself from breaking out into a huge grin; wanting only to let him suffer just a bit before I gave him my answer. When I couldn't hide it any longer, I let the corners of my mouth make their way up my face. With a grin now permanently set on my face, I answered him,

"Yes, of course!" I said as I kissed him hard, pushing us back under the water.

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**Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! They are great motivation to keep on writing!! Thanks again!!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Well, this is the last chapter of **_**The Healer**_**. Unfortunately, I did not have a beta to go and proof read the story, so I apologize for all of the mistakes and errors. I really wanted to post it as soon as I could, since it had been a while since the last post. Thank you so much for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

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_11 years later…_

It was one of the hottest nights of the summer. The smog lingered heavily in the air. The city's music was loud this Friday night. I found myself in a dark alleyway next to empty building that was still under construction. I looked briefly to the opening that led to the streets, watching the people passing by; checking to make sure no one was watching me. As I confirmed, I jumped onto the open window of the second floor.

I stood there as still as a statue as I listened closely to the inside of the building. I could hear him shuffling erratically somewhere between the 8th and 10th floor. He was scared and it made me smile. I had chased him for about 10 miles and now it seemed he was deciding to hide. _Newborns are so irrational_, I thought. I pulled my hair quickly into a high ponytail, hoping that he would give me a good fight. I was used to them just cowering over when they caught sight of me before any action could happen. The fact that he at least ran got my hopes up. I made sure my small backpack was snuggled tightly against my back and pulled out my ipod. I quickly slipped small wireless buds in my ear and set my song on to a comfortable volume of background music…something with a fast and heavy beat.

I stepped into the empty space, making my foot steps deliberately loud. I could hear him rustle around and deciding to run upstairs. Before he could make it all the way there, my sensitive ears heard a light pounce landing on the roof. Leah.

"Hmm….where to go? Up or down?" I said tauntingly. Though I did not raise my voice, I knew he could hear me. He must have been standing very still as I could not hear any movement. He was probably deciding on his next move. Most newborns were wary about fighting werewolves. Hopefully, he would come down my way. Right then I heard Leah let out huge roar, loud enough to startle even myself. I hid in the corner of the stair case as I could hear him run back down the stairs towards me. I stood perfectly still and as he approached me I caught him off guard as I kicked him as hard as I could in his back. He flew through the door and onto the floor. As soon as he got up he growled and immediately lunged at me. I jumped up before he could get his hands a hold of me and attacked him on his unsuspecting side, a move that Jasper had taught me. When fighting a newborn you always have to remember to not allow them to get their arms around you as they were very strong…much stronger than you. As he crashed against the wall, he quickly jumped up and began running again up the stairs.

I chased him up about 20 flights of stairs. By the time he got to the 22nd floor, instead of going any higher, he kicked open the door to the floor. I chased him in as he abruptly stopped and turned around. Before I knew what had happened, the loud sound of shattered glass came behind me and I was pinned to the ground. She was stronger than me and I could not move. Her teeth snapped at me as I tried to hold her back. I glared into those dark red eyes of hers.

I didn't want to use my power because I won't ever learn to fight if I always took the easy route. I tried pushing her off of me, without any success. I continued to struggle, trying to remember all of the moves that Jasper or Jacob had tried to teach me. Everything that I tried just didn't seem to work. She was just too strong. It seemed like I was going to lose this fight, if I didn't use my power soon. Before I could unleash pain onto the girl, she was yanked off of me. I looked up at her as she was pinned to the ceiling. Annabel was holding her there, her hand held high in the air. Leah was currently ripping the other newborn into shreds. As soon as Annabel put her hand down, she came down with a huge thud as she hit the floor. I looked at the girl who lied there completely limp and unresponsive. I slowly got up and started to straighten up my clothes. I took a quick inventory of myself and was pleased that I still looked okay and wouldn't have to go home and change.

"Come on, guys!" I whined. "You guys never let me finish the kill."

The both looked at me and Annabel shrugged her shoulders. I slipped the backpack off and handed it to Leah. She took it in her mouth and headed over to a dark corner to change back.

"Sorry Nessie," Annabel said as she picked up the girl and swung her over her shoulder. "It's just that you always wait forever to use your power. Sometimes we worry you'll wait till it's too late."

"And I promised Jacob that we would make sure that you were returned unscathed," Leah said as she walked over to us. I cringed slightly, cursing myself for forgetting that Leah couldn't keep anything from Jacob. I conveniently left out this part of my plans for tonight and I knew he wasn't going to be happy about it. I helped Leah pick up the pieces of the male newborn and we made our way up the stairs to the roof.

We pulled the pieces together in a big pile and set them on fire. I watched the smoke raise above us, looking at the bare sky. It seemed so long since I've seen stairs. The city lights made it impossible to see them, even with my eyesight.

"I still can't believe this is what you wanted to do for your bachlorette party," Annabel said

"I needed to blow some steam," I said shrugging my shoulders.

"Well, I think this was an awesome idea for a bachlorette party…the best one I've been to yet. Trust me, I've been to quite a few," Leah said. I tried to fight the slight frown that was forming on my lips. The pack had been growing at an incredible rate these past years. It seemed that there was a wedding every month, if not two. Unfortunately, Leah had been a bridesmaid in most of them, including mine. I know she had given hope on love a long time ago but I hadn't. I knew it was going to happen to her. It had to. I heard a beep ring through and watched Leah pull out her phone to read the text message.

"That was Claire. We should get going before she throws a fit," Leah told us.

I sighed.

The 4 of us had become very close over the past years, especially after Seth and Annabel's wedding. A strong bond formed between Annabel and Leah. I think Leah had always wanted a sister and couldn't deny being thankful to Annabel for saving her brother that day in Italy and also for making her brother so happy. I knew she was still uncomfortable around my family, my mother especially and well vampires in general, but with Annabel it was different. Soon, Leah and I became good friends over time. I enjoyed our friendship a lot. Leah could be a little rough around the edges, a little sarcastic and cynical but once you got to know her, you couldn't help but love her. She was forever loyal and always had your best interest at heart. Plus she always took my side whenever I had a disagreement with Jacob.

Claire and Quil continued to visit us over the years. The older she got, the closer we had all become. They married a month after her 18th birthday and then moved closed to us. She had grown up to be strong headed and beautiful adult. She may not have any magical powers or special talents, but she was the glue that kept us together and kept us…human. I knew she hated that she couldn't join us during the patrols but she made up for it by her constant crazy ideas of things for all of us to do together. Unfortunately, she was not satisfied with my choice of activity for my bachlorette party, so she had taken it upon herself to plan something for later on tonight and she had asked Alice to help plan. With Alice involved, of course it was going to be over the top. I just hoped it wouldn't be the typical party that consisted of male strippers or lollipops or any food items in the shape of any male private parts. Though I really didn't want to have this party, I couldn't deny Claire this. I knew she would hate me forever if she was not included in some sort of part in my apparent 'last night of freedom.' She was good at holding a grudge.

We made our way out of the building and walked up the streets to a trendy restaurant that Claire had told us to meet her at. New York City was wonderful. I was so glad that we had decided to move here, though it really had not been much of a choice. New York had, for whatever reason, become a breeding ground for one of the fastest growing newborn army. It was easy to find a fight here in this city. There had also been small run-ins with the werewolves. These werewolves were completely different from the shape shifters that were on our side. Carlisle and my father had been trying vigorously to come into contact with their leader, which had been the main reason we moved here. All efforts though had been unsuccessful. The Volturi had already given a very bad impression of vampires to werewolves and talks of peace with them were a concept that they couldn't quite grasp. Rumor had it that their numbers were growing just as fast as the shape shifters. The privacy that the mythical world I had belonged to was balancing on a dangerous thread of secrecy. Humans were starting to notice the unusual. New York City was becoming the most dangerous city in the country. Headlines of newspapers constantly talked of mysterious murders where victims were drained of blood completely. They city had gone on a witch hunt for a serial murders, cults or any one who they thought guilty of these crimes to stop the violence. We moved here to make sure that peace was kept and our secret stayed a secret to the humans.

Unfortunately, the mythical world was on the verge of being brought to the forefront, thanks to the Romanians. They believed that there was no reason to hide any longer. Their mission was to rule the world. My family and I had traveled there to give them warning a few years ago. Thankfully they had back down, mostly due to fear of my family's powers, especially mine and Annabel's. The Denali Clan as well as many others who have joined our side have been there watching over them and making sure things did not get out of hand. The latest news was that they were still focused on creating an army. We knew they were just waiting to make their move.

As I walked through the doors, Annabel walked to the hostess who then led us upstairs. It looked like Claire and Alice rented the whole second floor of the restaurant for the private party. Everything was decorated with pink disco balls and lights. All the women I loved were there. I watched Claire talk to the bartender, waving her hands animatedly with a huge smile on her face. She turned her head as if she sensing that I was here. She smiled brighter, if at all possible and ran over to me.

"Nessie! You're here!" She squealed. "I was worried you were going to bail out on your own bachlorette party."

"I couldn't do that to you. But if I see any naughty police officers or firemen, I'm out of here," I said to her as I gave her a hug.

"Hey! There could be a legitimate reason for them to be here."

"A legitimate reason for them to take off their clothes?"

"Do you really need a reason for good looking men to take off their clothes?" Leah said behind me. I rolled my eyes.

"I almost forgot," Claire said as she rummaged in her purse. She quickly pulled out a tiara, which she promptly placed on my head and then wrapped a Mrs. Bacholoratte sash over my chest.

"Really, Claire?" I said complained.

"Nessie, you've been engaged for like 11 years! That is like the longest engagement _ever_. You might as well go all out."

"Smile!" I heard behind me as Annabel swung me around quickly, only to be attacked by a flash of a camera.

"Mom!" I whined.

"Sorry. I just wanted to record the moment. It's not everyday your only daughter gets married," she said as she wrapped her arms around me to give me a tight squeeze. I was then passed to my aunts Rosalie and Alice.

"Wait until you see what I got you. Jacob is going love it!" Alice said in my ear as she hugged me tightly.

_Oh god,_ I thought. This was going to be an embarrassing night.

Many of the wives and girlfriends of the pack were there, along with the ladies of the Denali clan and friends of my family. The night seemed to never end. With then endless stream of gifts that ranged from nice things like candles, got a little racier with lingerie and then extremely embarrassing items, given to me by my Aunt Rosalie who then informed me which one was Emmett's favorite. My body shuddered just thinking about it. I was dying to go home.

By the end of the night I was worn out. I fell asleep in my mother's car on the way home. It was hard for my father to live in the city. It was loud enough already, I couldn't imagine hearing everyone's thoughts as well. So they bought a nice house a few miles from the city but in a nice quiet suburb. Carlisle and Esme lived in that neighborhood too. Everyone else moved into the city, where all the action is. My family invested in many buildings and many of the pack lived in them. I couldn't wait to join Jacob there. My parents purchased a large penthouse for us as a wedding gift. Jacob was living there now and I would be moving in with him after the wedding.

I felt my mother nudge me awake.

"We're home honey," she said.

I yawned and tried to open my eyes.

"Straight for bed, there are lots to do tomorrow. I'm sure Alice will be here first thing tomorrow morning," she said pulling me into the house. I groaned. It was the rehearsal dinner tomorrow among many other things. The only thing that was getting me by was knowing that I would soon be Mrs. Jacob Black. 11 years I've waited and the last few days seemed to be going unbearably slow.

I heard the piano that was playing softly stop as we opened the door. My father came to us and somehow managed both of us in his arms. He didn't say anything, just embracing us tightly. I tried to struggle out, wanting to go to bed, but he held on tighter.

"Dad," I grumbled

"Give me a moment. I have my two favorite ladies home; let me cherish it for a bit. Soon, it will just be your mother and I," he said still closing his eyes.

"Dad, you act like you'll never see me again," I whined even more finally pulling out of his embrace.

"You won't be as easily accessible."

"What time did you get home?" my mother asked him giving him a brief kiss on the lips.

"Only ten minutes ago."

"How was Jacob's bachelor party?" I asked him.

"Fun…really fun," he said smirking. I gave him a questioning look.

"What did you guys do?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," he teased.

I rolled my eyes.

I kissed him and my mother on the cheek and made my way to my room. My eyes were heavy and without turning on the lights I made it to my bed. My room was covered with moving boxes scattered all throughout the floor. I had been packing for the past few weeks getting things ready to move over to Jacob and I's new place in Manhattan.

I yawned and flopped on the bed, laying for a moment debating on if I had enough energy to get dressed out of my clothes and brush my teeth. It was then I felt a small tug on my tiara that was still sitting on the top of my head. I shot up in my bed quickly to find Jacob leaning against my headboard.

"Man, are you absolutely unaware of your surroundings when you're tired," he teased.

"You scared me," I said giving him a gentle push on his chest but then flashing him my best smile. I was absolutely thrilled to find him here in my room. "My dad let you hang out in my room?"

My father was still very overprotective, especially this past year. I think he was just holding on to his little girl. Jacob was hardly allowed in my room, even though getting away with anything here with my father home was impossible.

Jacob shrugged his shoulders.

"I just wanted to say goodnight. He knows I'm not going to try anything, especially since I only a couple day till I can do whatever I want to you," he said poking me lightly in the stomach. I heard two hisses downstairs. I giggled.

"Who says I'll let you?" I teased. He just rolled his eyes and gave a light tug on my Mrs. Bachlorette sash.

"Looks like you had a fun night," he said.

"Yeah, super fun," I said sarcastically.

"Did you get anything good? Anything I might like?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I said as I took off my tiara and sash and placed them on my nightstand. "How about you? Did you have fun tonight?"

"Yeah, it was fun."

"What did you do?"

"You know…secret guy stuff."

"Secret guy stuff?" I felt my eyebrow rise.

He merely nodded.

"Strippers?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes and then they got wide.

"Did you have strippers?" he asked.

"Yep. Real hot ones too," I lied and immediately started laughing.

"Funny Nessie."

"I'm hilarious.'

"Sure you are," he said as he took me in his arms. I let him hold me for a few minutes before I broke away to brush my teeth and change into my pajamas. As I stepped out of my bathroom, I made my way to the bed where he was still sitting on. I put myself under the covers and laid my head on the pillow. My eyes were beginning to get heavy again.

He played with the strands in my hair and tucked one behind my ear.

"Are you excited?" I asked him.

"Absolutely, I've been waiting for a long time to marry you. How about you?"

"Yep…a little nervous," I admitted.

"Nervous? Don't worry, I'll be there," he joked.

I rolled my eyes.

"I know you'll be there. It's just that Alice had 11 years to plan this wedding; I'm a little scared how overboard she went. I saw pictures of my parents wedding and that was pretty extravagant for a house wedding with only months of planning."

He thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah, I would definitely be nervous…maybe more scared," he said. I felt his finger lift my chin up so I could look at him.

"But its only one day," he continued. "Plus, for as long as we waited, we gotta do it big."

I laughed.

"I guess your right," I said.

I laid there for a few moments in silence with Jacob as he continued to play with my hair.

"So I talked to Leah tonight," he said breaking the silence.

The pit of my stomach did a slight flip. Of course Leah would have said something. This was the only thing I disliked about our friendship. She told him everything, whether she wanted to or not. The pack had no secrets between each other. Jacob and I barely argue except on this issue that always seemed to come up.

"You did?" I said quietly, lifting the bed comforter over my head trying to hide from this conversation.

"Yep. I have to give her credit for having the ability to keep it from me that long."

"It's not her fault. It was my idea."

I felt the comforter being pulled so I couldn't hide anymore.

"Oh, I'm sure it was."

"Sorry." I said hoping that apologizing would end this topic of conversation.

"Only you would want to go newborn hunting for their bachlorette party."

I gave him a nervous smile.

"You know how I feel about you doing that without me," he continued.

"I know. But I wasn't going alone. Leah and Annabel were with me."

"Leah told me you weren't using your power." His eyes got very tight as he said these words.

I sighed.

"I don't know how anyone expects me to learn how to fight if I just keep using my power. Look at Jane, without her power, she was completely helpless. What if that happens to me? I don't want to be like her," I said.

"You won't ever lose your power."

"You don't know that. You never know when someone's power might trump mine. I want to prepare for the possibility."

Jacob sat silent for a moment then I heard him take a deep breath.

"I don't expect you to just only use your power, but Leah said it was close this time."

"I beg to differ," I argued.

"I know you, Nessie. You wait forever to use your power."

"Can we please not fight about this tonight?"

"We're not fighting."

I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Okay, I'll drop it…for now," he said.

I smiled in relief.

"Thanks."

"I'm going to get going," he said.

I groaned trying to hold him there with me.

"Only two more days and you'll be coming with me," He chuckled at me.

All of a sudden I got a rush of excitement.

"Right…two more days!" I squealed.

He laughed and kissed me on the forehead.

"Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

I nodded my head and watched him walk out of my room. As he closed the door, I looked up at the ceiling. In two more days, I would be Mrs. Jacob Black. It still seemed surreal to me. In three more days we would be going on our honeymoon and then a few weeks we would be starting college together.

School had become something to pass the time and to keep up appearances. I was hoping we could stay here longer. There were so many people in the city that maybe they wouldn't pay us that much attention. I've already gone through high school a couple of times. Most of us would be going to New York University. Alice and Claire wanted to go to Fashion Institute of Technology.

Right now it seemed everyone was just passing time, trying to live our lives and not to notice the dark cloud that was starting to loom over us. As happy as I was now, I couldn't help but feel anxiety about the future. The last time I felt so content with life, the world suddenly came crashing down. I was afraid to be happy. War seemed to be drawing closer. Lines have already started being drawn and all of us wondering when everything would come to a head.

Coming Soon…._**The War**_

_Leah's POV_

_I had given up on love. I was okay with never imprinting. But it happened and well… I should have known it would be different from all the others._

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**Thanks so much again. Please review and let me know what you thought of the last chapter! Also, I'm looking for a new Beta for my next story. Let me know if you are interested. Thanks!**


	25. Chapter 25

Just wanted to drop a note to you all to let you know the first chapter of the sequel to The Healer has been posted. Hope you like it!


	26. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Hello all!

I hope you are enjoying the sequel of The Healer called The War. I am having uber fun writing it! I wanted to send an author's note about another new story that I posted called Hidden Graced. It is my story that I have started writing that has a fairy tale feel to it and involves Angels. Edward as an angel? Yum! When you get a moment, please check it out. I hope you like it. Also, if you aren't already, you can follow me on Twitter at EllaRose00. I post many updates on where I am at on my stories.

Thank you to all my awesome and incredibly lovely readers!

~_L_


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